Senate debates

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Bills

Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014; In Committee

10:39 am

Photo of Jacinta CollinsJacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

As I indicated before, I am happy for the Greens to move amendments (12) and (13) together. However, my earlier comments were quite discrete with respect to amendment (12). Whilst I indicated that we were now dealing with the 'advocating terrorism' element of the bills and that we had circulated amendments to deal with that issue, I would like to deal with Labor's position in more detail at that stage.

I should now, for the benefit of the Senate, indicate that Labor has circulated revised and further amendments because, through further consideration and discussions, we have determined to take a different approach to dealing with this issue. I will come to the detail of those when I receive advice as to where in the running sheet we should address those amendments.

With respect to Greens amendment (13), which was similar to our previous approach, in the amendments that we first provided, I should indicate that on the basis of Labor's new approach addressing this issue we would be opposing amendment (13) with respect to removing the word 'promote'.

I appreciate the Greens' concern here. Indeed, up until recently we had sought to address the issue in a similar way. On the basis of further advice—senators will see our changed position in amendments on sheet 7605—we believe that this approach ensures that our concerns that the breadth of these provisions not touch behaviour which would not be reasonably regarded as advocating terrorism are dealt with in this new fashion.

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