House debates

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Bills

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2020; Second Reading

10:39 am

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker. Ensuring the safety and protection of the Australian community is the first priority of this government. The persistent and evolving threat environment faced by Australia's law enforcement and security agencies makes it critical that they have access to effective capabilities and powers to counter the threats of politically motivated violence, terrorism, espionage and foreign interference.

The bill contains two distinct reforms that will modernise the powers of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, or ASIO, to ensure that it is equipped with the tools it needs to combat evolving threats to Australia's national security and to keep Australians safe from those who seek to do us harm. First, the bill will repeal ASIO's existing questioning and detention warrant framework—contained in division 3 of part III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, the ASIO Act—and introduce a new fit-for-purpose compulsory questioning framework. Second, the bill will amend ASIO's surveillance device regime, including to permit the use of non-intrusive tracking devices with internal authorisations in limited circumstances, akin to the level of authorisation for our law enforcement agencies.

The bill has been extensively reviewed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, with a report tabled by the committee chair on 3 December 2020. In particular, I want to acknowledge, not only in relation to this bill but generally on the committee, the work of the member for Canning, as the chair, and the member for Holt, as the deputy chair of the committee—two absolutely patriotic and professional members of this parliament, who do our country a great service by their work on that committee, in complete contrast to the enemy of state, the member for Melbourne, as was represented before in his contribution.

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