Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

Labor supports the government amendments to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Amendment Bill 2021. The shadow Attorney-General approached the Attorney-General with a number of suggestions to improve the bill several months ago. Senator Cash has engaged constructively with Labor on those suggestions and ultimately agreed either in whole or in part to many of the amendments sought by the shadow Attorney-General. Moreover, while two of Labor's suggestions were rejected by the government, in both cases the Attorney-General agreed to workable compromises. I thank the Attorney-General for working with the opposition to improve the bill in the national interest.

In addition to making some minor technical but nonetheless useful changes to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act, the amendments agreed between the government and Labor would do the following. First, the tabling requirements for reports by the independent monitor will be amended so that reports must be tabled within the earlier of 30 calendar days or 15 sitting days of receipt by the Attorney-General. This will ensure that reports by the monitor will be made public much sooner than is currently the case. Second, Australian public servants and other potential employees can be made available to the independent monitor only with the monitor's agreement, and that agreement can be revoked at any time. It is important that the monitor is independent, and is seen to be independent, of the government. That is the principle that this amendment is designed to uphold. Third, the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act will be amended to enable the monitor to be appointed on a full-time basis. Labor supports these amendments.

Question agreed to.