Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The minister has touched on an issue which I seek further clarification on. In his submission, the member for Blaxland said—and I believe he was speaking on behalf of the opposition—that the amendments that have been secured would require anyone who wanted a warrant with respect to a journalist to approach a judge. He used the word 'judge' repeatedly. He said it is the judge who issues the warrants. So you would have a chance, as a public interest advocate, to argue in front of a judge that warrants should or should not be issued. I am after clarification as to whether that is in fact right. Are the member for Blaxland and the Labor Party are right in saying that, under these amendments, all of these warrants will have to be argued in front of a judge, or whether the effect of 180L is that some of them will not have to be argued in front of a judge and will in fact be argued in front of the esteemed Attorney-General.

See this speech in context