Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The instructions that I have are as follows: 'All individuals accessing a secure area or zone of a regulated port must have a valid MSIC'—as it is known—'or must be escorted or continuously monitored by an MSIC holder whether they are foreign or Australian workers. Foreign ships entering Australia must demonstrate compliance with international security standards. Foreign ships and foreign seafarers must also comply with the security measures of Australian ports and port facilities. An MSIC ensures the holder has been background checked and allows the holder to be unescorted inside a maritime security zone. The schemes are designed to ensure persons, both Australians and foreigners, who require unescorted access to the secure areas of certain security controlled airports and security regulated ports are subject to an appropriate background check. The introduction of the bill will strengthen the ASIC and MSIC schemes to ensure that we prevent individuals who pose a high criminal risk, both Australians and foreigners, from holding a card, which is consistent with the findings of a range of parliamentary reviews.'