David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

You see, at no point has your government clarified with the human rights committee that that's the case. Indeed, it's my understanding the human rights committee came to this conclusion on a thorough review of the legislation, including with the assistance of information from Home Affairs. We are left, again, in a difficult situation where a unanimous report of the human rights committee that considered this bill at length says that it appears to 'greatly broaden the amount of personal data that a provider can share even where the person is not the target of the investigation'. Against that, we have the rhetoric of both the government and the opposition that this is all technical, there's nothing to see here and, 'Don't you worry about it.'

I've got to say, on behalf of the Australian Greens, we find the unanimous recommendation after careful deliberation of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights more persuasive than the bare assertions that have been provided by both the government and the opposition. Can you explain, if what you say to the Senate is true, how it is that at no point has the minister sought to clarify what looks like, on your version—and, I've got to say, I think there's a credibility gap—such a significant mischaracterisation by the committee?