Segal Secrets: docs reveal Antisemitism Envoy’s big pay day

Australia’s controversial Antisemitism Czar and Israel lobbyist Jillian Segal has received an extra $12.9 million in funding from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, FOI documents appear to have been heavily redacted. Stephanie Tran reports.

The Albanian government has withheld key details about the appointment of Jillian Segal as Australia’s special envoy on antisemitism; Freedom of information (FOI) documents have revealed a process almost entirely obscured by redactions.

Documents released by the Home Office in response to an FOI request show the government relied on sweeping confidentiality exemptions to keep internal briefings, candidate evaluations, informed advice to ministers and all correspondence between Segal and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Beyond a set of general reference descriptions, the documents shed little light on why Segal was chosen. But what is deliberately missing is the real story.

The election process is almost completely streamlined

One of the key questions the FOI sought to answer was how Segal was selected. In correspondence to staff in March 2024, Home Affairs officials explained that they intended to provide the Prime Minister with “up to 6 candidates” who reflected “Australia’s demographics”, diverse identities and genders, and “trusted relationships” in their communities.

But every document detailing the assessments or rationale for selection was either heavily redacted or completely suppressed, primarily under the deliberative processes exemption under s47C of the FOI Act.

The Information Officer’s decision letter states that the Home Office carried out “extremely comprehensive” searches but was still unable to find a CV, risk assessment and assessment criteria.

The department’s claim that it could not find a copy of Jillian Segal’s resume appears to be contradicted by the government’s own records. In a letter to the Prime Minister in June 2024, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles made it clear that Segal’s “CV, Declaration of Special Interests and Appointment Details proforma are at Annex D”.

Urgency and budget explosions

What remains of the redactions paints a picture of a high-speed, politically sensitive process.

The documents reveal the existence of an “Israeli Hamas Social Cohesion Task Force” within Internal Affairs, chaired by Giles.

In February 2024, Giles wrote to Anthony Albanese requesting “immediate agreement” on the appointment of ambassadors to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. “A sudden and significant increase in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia… exacerbated by Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.” [and] “The ongoing conflict and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

On June 21, 2024, Giles personally recommended Segal as the preferred candidate for Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.

Albanese accepted Segal’s appointment in a letter dated 25 June 2024. Albanese also confirmed $12.9 million in additional funding for the role.

“Budget 2024-25 provides $4.0 million over two years from 2023-24 for appointment.” The decision of the Special Representatives has been made but has not yet been announced. Note down appointments It will now be valid for three years instead of one year and additional support staff may be required, I agree to make additional contributions totaling up to $12.9 million over three years from 2024-25. Maximum of 12 personnel, with offsets to be decided in the 2024-25 Mid-Year Economic and Financial Reports Outlook (MYEFO) context is subject to agreement with the Ministry of Finance.”

The public interest outweighs the need for privacy

In its decision, the Home Office argued that publishing deliberative materials would hinder officials’ ability to give “full and frank advice” on future appointments and that disclosing the names or details of candidates would be an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy.

The department publicly acknowledged that the disclosure would “support the purposes of the FOI Act” and “inform debate on a matter of public importance”, but nevertheless maintained the public interest’s preferred secrecy, particularly to avoid “undermining” internal government processes.

The information officer said:

“I consider that the public interest in protecting the process by which a Department can provide free and honest confidential advice to its Minister has, on balance, greater weight than the public interest that may exist in disclosing the matter for discussion. It would be contrary to the public interest to jeopardize the proper working relationship that a Department has with its Minister and the ability of a Department to provide honest advice to its Minister in confidence.”

Jillian Segal’s many hats: Special Representative on Antisemitism and Israel lobbyist extraordinaire