Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cyber Security. Will the minister update the House on actions the government is taking to give our law enforcement and national security agencies the powers they need to disrupt and prosecute serious organised criminals and terrorists in the online environment?

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Berowra for his question and for his ongoing interest in keeping Australians safe and secure. He would know that we have had telecommunications interception legislation in this country for 40 years. When that legislation was first put in place in 1979, we only had one telco, which had just changed its name from the PMG to Telecom. There were no mobile phones, and the World Wide Web was still a decade away. So, of course, a lot has changed since then—the number of telcos and the number of connected devices, and even the ways we communicate more generally. Our laws have not kept up. If we don't act, we will be giving serious criminals a place to hide, whether they be paedophiles, drug dealers, or terrorists planning an attack on our communities.

I was concerned when I was advised by our agencies that, in the last 12 months alone, in 200 operations investigating very serious crimes—with penalties of seven years imprisonment or more—those agencies were thwarted or in some way inhibited in their ability to get the job done because of the failure of our legislation to be fit for purpose in an era when technology has changed so dramatically.

The legislation I released for public consultation this morning will address these issues. Public consultation is important, because we are willing to take the time to listen to ensure that we get this right. For those who, like me as the minister for cybersecurity, are concerned about the security and privacy of all Australians' data, these important reforms do not require industry to reduce the levels of security that they've developed to enhance privacy for all Australians, and any request for an individual's data will remain subject to the existing warrant processes.

We cannot give criminals a place to hide. If we do not act, they will continue to hide on those applications and platforms they believe protect their nefarious activities. This government has a proven track record of balancing individual freedoms with the safety and security of all Australians. I call on those opposite to join the government in supporting these important reforms.