Fact About Australia

1- Formed 13 May 1952.

 2- Headquarters Canberra, Australian Capital  Territory, Australia.

 3- Annual budget $162.5m AUD (2007).

 4- Minister responsible The Hon. Stephen   Smith MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

 5- Agency executive Nick Warner, Director- General.

 6- Australian Secret Intelligence Service is the  Australian government intelligence agency  . . .

responsible for collecting foreign intelligence, undertaking counter-intelligence activities and cooperation with other intelligence agencies overseas. For more than twenty years, the existence of the agency was a secret even from its own government. Its primary responsibility is gathering intelligence from mainly Asian and Pacific interests using agents stationed in a wide variety of areas. Its main purpose, as with most agencies, is to protect the country’s political and economic interests while ensuring safety for the people of Australia against national threats.