Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Hansard source

This amendment does move in the direction of the first recommendation of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee. It sets out a class of people, though, which will be included and I do not think the Senate committee went as far as listing the classes of people who should be exempted from the amendment. I think the government’s remarks in relation to the first recommendation of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee really do apply to this amendment as well, and I rely on those remarks. We believe that Customs should have the ability to scrutinise those cardholders not just in the context of a critical issue or an immediate danger but in a wider sense. For those reasons we oppose the Democrat amendment.

Question negatived.

Progress reported.