House debates

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Questions without Notice

National Security

2:38 pm

Photo of Christian PorterChristian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question, and it is a very good question. At a federal level, there are very strict rules about the use and authorised use of surveillance devices which, essentially, restrict that use to law enforcement agencies. As the member is aware, recently we also passed very important laws to counter the influence of or interference with members of parliament. Frankly, I think that everyone in this parliament would agree that the idea that a 'non-law-enforcement device', if you like, appeared to have been installed in the office of any member of this parliament is a serious concern. I think it's a matter also of some obviousness that the level of concern we might have, and whether that matter might require further inquiry, would turn very substantially on whether the member in question had themselves authorised or otherwise had knowledge of the installation of that device. That seems to be a very obvious and first question.

In fact, so obvious is that question that that obvious proposition was put to the opposition leader this morning by Neil Mitchell who said: 'He's a member of your backbench. He's right in the middle of this, and you haven't even spoken to him?' The answer was, 'Well, I haven't, because it's very clear that I wasn't aware of the member's office's involvement until much later on.'

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