Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

We were obviously looking at the same song sheet when we wrote these, Senator Stott Despoja; it is similar to the next amendment by Labor. It is from recommendation 4. Principally, it is a clarification to ensure a stored communication warrant adequately and clearly identifies the subject of the warrant and the telecommunications service for which it is sought.

Labor would probably oppose the Democrats amendment on the basis that we would prefer ours. But, if the government indicates that it is not going to support yours or ours then we are happy to support yours and watch ours go down as well. Be that as it may, we understand that we are all—at least the Democrats and Labor—seeking a tightening of the warrant identification of the subject and the service. We think it is an improvement to the proposed regime in this bill. We think it will provide adequate protections. On the basis of the principle we will offer support to the Democrats in this instance.