Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brandis for the clarity of his answer. It is actually quite embracing. I would also put to you the concerns that I shared before. The submission that the MEAA put to the joint committee, submission No. 6, raised a very interesting case study—that being the phone-tapping of the wife of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. It was controversial reporting—I would argue, public interest reporting—and it was obviously based on disclosure of operations that took place well before the SIO scheme came into place. Senator Brandis, had that wiretapping been done under the framework of an SIO—which I think is entirely plausible—would that reporting have been illegal?