This week at budget estimates hearings, ministers and heads of department will be grilled about the minutiae of their spending, but intelligence agencies will by and large be spared.

Podcast The Signal Who's watching the spies? Each year we spend billions on intelligence, but is it being well spent? Andrew Wilkie says we're not being told enough. Especially when it comes to the Philippines. About

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On the other hand, anyone reading this year's budget papers carefully might have found a rare glimpse into foreign intelligence spending.

As the ABC revealed earlier this week, hidden in plain sight under a listing of funding for overseas operations was a new entry: "Operation Augury — Philippines."

Above and below Augury were more than $3 billion worth of mostly foreign military operations — "Okra" in Iraq and the Middle East, "Highroad" in Afghanistan and "Manitou" around the Arabian Gulf — familiar names routinely accounted for in the budget every year.

But the costs of "Operation Augury — Philippines" were blacked out for each of the next four years with the letters "nfp" (not for publication) and a footnote explaining that this was "due to national security issues".

Australian intelligence agencies have grown increasingly alarmed at the threat of Islamic extremism in the Philippines, after Islamic State-inspired militants tried to establish a base in the city of Marawi last year.

Operation Augury was an unusual inclusion in the budget, but far from the only black spot in the public's view of intelligence spending.

'Open any door with any pass, access any computer at any time'

There are 10 agencies altogether.

Some of the best known ones — ASIO, ASIS and the Australian Signals Directorate — are accountable to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security.

But in many cases, even those sessions are closed to the public.

There is also an intelligence cop, of sorts.

Professor John Blaxland from the ANU says the office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) is being expanded to cover all 10 agencies, including those that fall under the newly expanded Home Affairs Ministry.

"[The IGIS] has got extraordinary powers to open any door with any pass, access any computer at any time," he says.

Professor Blaxland is a former Australian intelligence officer, and one of the authors of ASIO's official history.

He argues Australia has some of the most robust intelligence oversight in the Western world, although he admits the results of investigations conducted by IGIS are not necessarily made public either.

"They're not doctoring the truth, they're just shielding some of the sensitive stuff that is of enduring operational sensitivity," Professor Blaxland said.

John Blaxland says Australia's Intelligence Committee is much less powerful than its "intrusive" equivalent in the US. ( Supplied: ANU )

Transparency, controversy, and silver linings

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has been calling for far greater powers for the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security.

"The public has next to no understanding of what's going on," Mr Wilkie told The Signal.

"On the one hand, that's as it should be, but having said that … we do at the end of the day live in an open democratic system."

Mr Wilkie says there is an expectation that Australians will have some understanding of the scope of operations — how much money is being spent, how many people are being employed.

"Our intelligence agencies in particularly are simply overseen by the relevant minister," he said.

"And that will work fine when you've got a competent and ethical minister, but we shouldn't be relying on always having competent and ethical people in charge."

Andrew Wilkie wants more transparency when it comes to supporting a controversial figure like the Philippines President. ( AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo )

Mr Wilkie argues that while there are reasonable limitations on what the public should know, operations in the Philippines particularly should be more visible to the public.

About 4,000 mostly urban poor Filipinos have been killed by police in the past 19 months in a "war on drugs", and International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors have opened a preliminary examination into the policy.

"We have a very controversial government there led by a very controversial man, President [Rodrigo] Duterte," Mr Wilkie said.

"He's infamous internationally as a serial human rights abuser.

Sorry, this video has expired ASIS director-general Nick Warner meets Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila ( Presidential Broadcast Staff – RadioTelevision Mal )

"Now, if we're going to go into his country and support his government against the enemies of his government, then in a case like that you'd think the community would need added transparency, rather than less transparency."

Professor Blaxland admits Australia's Intelligence Committee is much less powerful than its "intrusive" equivalent in the US, but that comes with a silver lining.

"What tends to happen, we've seen this the last couple of years particularly since President [Donald] Trump came to office, is they become quite politicised," Professor Blaxland said.

"So I would be very wary of Australia going down that path."