Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Denison for quickly moving away from the point I made. I did not attack the member for Denison; I simply pointed out that he agreed with the consensus report. That report included recommendation 28, a recommendation that you just forgot to read out then, didn't you, sir? I will read it out for the convenience of the House. The recommendation you agreed with, that you are now saying that you do not like, says:

The Committee recommends—

that includes you, sir, who voted for it—

that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 be amended to create an authorised intelligence operations scheme, subject to similar safeguards and accountability arrangements as apply to the Australian Federal Police controlled operations regime under the Crimes Act 1914.

And this is what we are doing. We are creating an authorised intelligence operation scheme subject to similar safeguards and accountability arrangements as they apply to the Crimes Act. It is exactly what we are doing with 35P. This, sir, is exactly what you agreed to in the report back then, and for you to come back in here this morning and suddenly say the government is wrong is hypocrisy at best.

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