Call for single anti-terror minister

A former army general says a single minister should take charge of overseeing Australia's counter terrorism efforts.

Jim Molan made the call saying the Abbott government should replicate the strategy behind its asylum seeker boat crackdown - with a single minister having overall oversight over relevant agencies such as ASIO, federal police and immigration.

"If you're going to learn the lessons of success in Operation Sovereign Borders and joint agency task force, the key thing is a minister who is accountable, has authority and has the resources," he told Network Ten.

"Don't spread it across three or four or five ministers."

The former Major General, who helped design the border protection operation and served as the government's special envoy on people smuggling, said having a single minister was key.

"You can't do this by committee," he said.