Malcolm Turnbull makes no apologies for asking new citizens to be "Australian patriots" as he seeks to underline his government's commitment to tackling terrorism.
The prime minister, in a statement to parliament on national security on Tuesday, said Australia faced real and growing challenges from senseless attacks and hardened fighters returning to the region.
Australia was not immune from the global impact of the conflicts in the Middle East and instability around the world as terrorists sought to weaken our societies and divide our communities.
"We must be clear-eyed and recognise that this is the new reality we face," Mr Turnbull told MPs.
He noted - and paid tribute to - the four Australians killed in attacks in Baghdad, London and Melbourne in recent weeks.
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He reassured Australians his government was staying ahead of the evolving threat from Islamist extremists through a range of means.
"We lead our Australian way of life on our terms. We will not buckle or be cowed by this scourge of Islamist terrorism," Mr Turnbull said.
He confirmed the government will this week introduce laws to change visa and citizenship requirements.
There was no more important title in our democracy than "Australian citizen".
"And we should make no apology for asking those who seek to join our Australian family to join us as Australian patriots - committed to the values that define us, committed to the values that unite us."
Borrowing a line from John Howard, Mr Turnbull said the country's success as a multicultural society was built on strong foundations - including the confidence of the Australian people that their government determines who comes to Australia.
"Uncontrolled irregular migration flows have posed an exponential threat to many countries."
The government has invested $1.5 billion in law enforcement and security agencies to combat terrorism since August 2014.
It has passed eight tranches of legislation in that time, with more slated.
Attorney-General George Brandis is set to work with overseas colleagues on ways to crack down on terrorists and organised criminals using what Mr Turnbull describes as "ungoverned digital spaces".
Encrypted messaging was a growing concern.
"The privacy of a terrorist can never be more important than public safety - never," he said.
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Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called on Facebook, Twitter, and developers of encrypted communications apps, to do more in the counter-terrorism space.
More needed to be done by these companies than simply having teams to monitor and remove offensive content.
"They need to see this fight as their fight, not just our fight," he told parliament.
"Terrorists don't self-police, so we cannot rely on a self-policing system."
Mr Shorten also called for co-operation between the federal and state governments to protect communities and detect and prevent terrorist attacks.
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