Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The first thing I want to say is that this is a really dishonest MPI. We heard first from the shadow minister and then from 'old mate', the member for Forrest—we'll be getting that one next time. The Albanese government's position on this issue is really clear and really longstanding, and it's disappointing that, as part of this political theatre, those opposite are pretending that no action has been taken by us—by the government—when the security agencies have provided clear advice. I'll flesh that out a bit for those listening to this debate. But, at the outset, I think it's important that we acknowledge that this is a point of debate that those opposite have put forward in the MPI that is quite dishonest and therefore unethical. It doesn't do justice to the faith in our security organisations that all members of this place should have, including the shadow minister, who, as Julian Hill, the member for Bruce, said, has been a member of the PJCIS.

National security is not political theatre. We follow the advice of our security agencies and we follow the law. That's how we keep Australians safe. If any of these individuals find their own way to return to our shores, our agencies are prepared and will be able to act in the interests of community safety. It's important that members of the public who are listening have that assurance. As the Minister for Home Affairs has continuously, repeatedly said, our agencies have been monitoring these individuals for some time, and we have confidence, as the shadow minister should have confidence, as those opposite should have confidence, in our security agencies.

Our law enforcement and national security agencies are following the exact same approach that they have for over a decade. That same approach was used by the former government. It was the approach that those opposite followed through their previous governments. So people in this cohort need to know that, if they have committed a crime and they return to Australia, they'll be met with the full force of the law. To those listening at home: have no fear; that will be the case. The full force of the law will be applied to anyone returning from overseas. A number of male foreign fighters, as the assistant minister pointed out, came back to Australia when the Liberal Party were last in government. The coalition built the legal framework that we are now operating under, and, at the time, they acknowledged that it goes as far as it can constitutionally. Maybe that's why we haven't seen anything of substance from them in their proposals.

As Minister Burke has said, one individual in this cohort has been issued a temporary exclusion order, which was made on advice from security agencies. But, during his contribution, the shadow minister pretended that a temporary exclusion order isn't happening—that the government isn't putting a temporary exclusion order in place. That's one of the many reasons why I say that this is a dishonest and an unethical debate that they've put into the parliament. When there are so many other things that that we are happy to talk about, those opposite put up what we in the Northern Territory would call a gammon, a pretend piece of private member's legislation that was full of holes. It was either deliberately dishonest or incompetent. I'm not sure which of those—probably both.

If our security agencies provide advice that additional people in the cohort meet the threshold, then temporary exclusion orders should be put in place, and of course we will do that because we follow their advice and we trust in them. And that's what those opposite should do, rather than this stupid political theatre that they're engaged in today. (Time expired)

See this speech in context