Prime Minister Tony Abbott has linked stopping boatloads of asylum seekers travelling to Australia to the government's efforts to combat terrorism.
Mr Abbott on Monday unveiled a new Assistant Minister for counter-terrorism and a new departmental advisor on the issue – former Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriaty.
He said it was further evidence of the Coalition's promise to keep the country safe, in light of the heightened terror threat.
"This government takes with extraordinary seriousness our responsibility for keeping our community safe," Mr Abbott said.
"I think we've demonstrated in the way we have stopped the boats," he said.
"I think we've demonstrated with our commitment to countering Islamist death cults both here and abroad that we do take our responsibilities to keep our communities safe, very, very seriously indeed," he said.
In 2013, the Coalition, then in opposition, demanded an inquiry into how an Egyptian man on Interpol was cleared by Australia's spy agency ASIO and allowed to live in a low-security detention centre for nearly eight months.
Mr Abbott said he wanted to apply the same approach the government took in stopping the boats to national security.
"We need to bring the same drive, focus and clarity of purpose to countering terrorism that resulted in stopping the boats under Operation Sovereign Borders," he said.
Mr Abbott said Australia had experienced two terrorist attacks since the threat level was raised to high in September, 2014.
They include the fatal siege in Sydney's Lindt cafe in which barrister Katrina Dawson and store manager Tori Johnson were killed, along with gunman Man Haron Monis.
The inquest into the siege reopened in Sydney on Monday.
Mr Abbott said the threat of homegrown terrorism had evolved with the rise of Islamic State in the Iraq and Syria and said the government's response also had to adapt.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan will take on a new role in as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Counter-Terrorism. Mr Moriaty will advise the government from within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
