John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again raise the issue of two security cameras on three occasions being interfered with at Sydney airport and the questions to the Minister for Justice and Customs that are outstanding on the Notice Paper. The readers of the Daily Telegraph and anyone who is concerned with security at Sydney airport want to know why on three separate occasions, on 23 October 2004, 26 January 2005 and 30 January 2005, CCTV cameras in the baggage make-up area of Sydney airport were interfered with. I have been trying to get answers out of the minister for customs for more than 12 months. The government is failing the fundamental test of protecting our national security. Sydney airport is a high-risk security area, and on three occasions two cameras were interfered with in the baggage make-up area. The Daily Telegraph readers want to know why, my constituents want to know why and anyone who uses Sydney airport wants to know why three cameras were found pointing to the wall or put out of focus. Mr Speaker, I have been trying to get answers for 12 months and I have asked you to follow up questions. Minister Ellison is refusing to answer those questions. It is not good enough to say that there were other cameras that picked up the fields of vision. Why were those cameras interfered with in the first place? We want answers, the Daily Telegraph want answers and the users of the airport want answers. (Time expired)