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

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her question. I can inform the Senate that yesterday a jury in Melbourne returned guilty verdicts against six defendants in a major counterterrorism trial. I will not comment on the specifics of the case as the jury is still deliberating in relation to two accused, and certain court orders remain in place and, of course, there are outstanding charges against a number of the accused. However, more broadly, in relation to the matters that are settled, the government welcomes the guilty verdicts.

By way of providing the Senate with a brief summary, there have been six individuals convicted of membership of a terrorist organisation, three individuals convicted of providing support to a terrorist organisation and one individual convicted of directing the activities of a terrorist organisation. It has been a lengthy and complicated case. The Melbourne trial commenced in February this year and comprised over 50 witnesses and in the order of 6,000 pages of evidence. The jury has, as it is entitled to do, reached various verdicts on the evidence before it, and four individuals have been acquitted of the charges brought against them. Yesterday’s verdict followed the guilty verdict returned last week on one count in the case of Belal Khazaal, which was another successful counterterrorism prosecution.

I commend all those involved in the case. It is important to recognise that yesterday’s verdicts are an example of effective cooperation between the Australian Federal Police and ASIO and, of course, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions as well as the Victorian police—