Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I am not going to prolong this debate; and I know that I brought this issue up during the Senate committee. The minister has referred to the term ‘forthwith’ and I am just wondering what, in his mind, constitutes ‘forthwith’. Is there a time line associated with that? What does the minister associate the word ‘forthwith’ with in his mind? Does it mean tomorrow, immediately, 10 days or a week? I am not suggesting that law enforcement agencies are going to be hanging on to this information in an inappropriate way, but I would not mind a stipulation of what the minister’s understanding of that terminology is. Given that I have asked that of others, I may as well ask it of the minister.