Peter Dutton
© AFP 2017/ SONNY TUMBELAKA
The South-Pacific nation, with some of the toughest anti-terror legislation in the world, is set to increase the power of its spy agencies still further.

Australia's newly inaugurated Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton announced plans December 20 to significantly ramp up domestic cyber-surveillance and counter-espionage activities in the Pacific nation.

Speaking after his swearing in, the new minister claimed the country's counter espionage capabilities had been undermined by the War on Terror, and the activities of the Australian Signals Directorate, which currently cooperates with the military in gathering foreign intelligence, will increasingly turn its attention to domestic surveillance.

Fears over foreign meddling in Australia were recently fanned by the scandal surrounding Labor MP Sam Dastyari who allegedly received financial assistance from a Chinese businessman who he also advised on how to avoid surveillance by the Australian Government. The Chinese government has vigorously denied claims that it has sought to influence Australian domestic politics.