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Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has thrown his support behind major defence contractor Wilson Security after security concerns were raised about the implications of its Hong Kong-based ownership.
The Minister for Defence said the Australian Defence Force has been provided assurances by the subsidiary of Hong Kong-owned Wilson Group (according to the 2016 Panama Papers), and processes are in place to maintain secrecy of Defence projects protected by the company – in response to concerns originally raised by The Australian Financial Review on 22 January.
Wilson Security provides security guards for defence sites at the Department of Defence headquarters in Canberra, HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia, RAAF Base Tindal, and Australian Army Robertson Barracks in the Northern Territory, among other defence locations.
“Wilson has been providing security to Australian Defence Force bases for many, many years across numerous governments,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said during a press conference in Canberra on 23 January.
“I'm confident about the processes that we have in place around providing assurance for those who contract with Defence and for those who contract with Defence in relation to base security.”
Concerns stem from legal frameworks available for intelligence agencies located in the People’s Republic of China which could attempt to use the company to obtain information.
Under state security legislation, any organisation or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with PRC state intelligence work in accordance with the law. Additionally, relevant organisations and individuals shall provide it truthfully and may not refuse.
Wilson Security has been an approved member of the Defence Industry Security Program for more than 15 years and the company was announced as the Defence Base Services Contractor of the Year Award winner for 2023, late last year.
The recognition came as part of the annual Base Services Contractor Council hosted by the Security Estate Group at HMAS Cerberus, with the award acknowledging the contractor for efforts and commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, value to Defence, and customer engagement.
Speaking on the award last year, Wilson Security chief executive officer Nick Frangoulis said the company remains committed to delivering outstanding service, upholding the highest accountability standards, and fostering a culture of respect, integrity, and trust.
“This award is tremendous recognition for our 1,000-plus Defence base security team,” he said.
“Their commitment to customer service excellence, combined with their hard work, professionalism and integrity, has led to this remarkable achievement.
“Our success is a testament to the respect, accountability, and commitment our team exhibits daily.”
The award serves as a beacon for Wilson Security’s future endeavours and continuing enhancement of service delivery to not only the defence sector but all clients, he said.
Robert Dougherty
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