Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) Share this | Hansard source

While I rise to support the government amendments to the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020, it's clear that the government requires the splitting of this bill into two parts in order to bring forward some of the recommendations arising out of the joint standing committee's report. It's critical that we move on these issues.

What the opposition has been saying for some time is that cyberattacks in this country are growing rapidly. Indeed, the government should have acted earlier. That's the obvious evidence, so we welcome the procedural motion to split the bill. We believe that in doing so we'll be able to bring forward and action some of these matters that were in the original bill, and that's important because the demand in responding to cyberattacks is greater and more urgent each and every day. For that reason, we have supported that. In fact, it was a suggestion by opposition members of the committee and the shadow minister for home affairs—and no doubt the shadow Attorney-General and other members on this side—who believe the government has been dragging its feet in this very important area of national security. So we do support the minister's procedural motion to split the bill if it means actioning things that should have happened some time ago.

It's important for the security of this nation and it's important that organisations that continue to be attacked in this space believe the government can attend to these matters as quickly as possible. I know that national security agencies have been wanting some of these matters for some time. Therefore, we don't want to see, by the enactment of the original bill, any delays to some of these very important matters. It is for that reason that I join the minister in supporting the procedural motion to split the bill. It reflects the view of the opposition, the view of the joint standing committee and, I'm glad to say, the view of the government. For those reasons and for others, the opposition supports this and will be supporting the procedural motion put by the minister.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

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