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 question of why, on three occasions, two CCTV security cameras in the Customs baggage make-up area of Sydney international airport were interfered with: on 23 October 2004, out of focus; on 26 January 2005, pointing to the wall; and on 30 January 2005, pointing to the wall. Sydney airport is a high-risk security area. I am pleased the Prime Minister has come into the chamber. Minister Ellison needs to tell the Daily Telegraph readers and all the people who use Sydney airport why two CCTV cameras were interfered with on three separate occasions. How could that possibly happen? I am glad the Prime Minister is listening. I ask you to ask Minister Ellison: why were those cameras interfered with—pointed to the wall or put out of focus? It is just not good enough to say that there are another 50 cameras there and they are picking up the field of vision. The Daily Telegraph readers want to know why those cameras were interfered with in the first place. The government prides itself on national security. Well, it has failed the most fundamental test at Sydney airport. One camera was found to be out of focus and in the very same area, within a few months, two more cameras were found to be pointing to the wall. I ask again: why, why, why? Why were those cameras interfered with? It is not good enough to say that there were other cameras picking up those fields of vision. I ask the Prime Minister to tell Minister Ellison to answer my questions on the Notice Paper today.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 2 pm, the time for members’ statements has concluded.