Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Duniam, I move:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on the Government's Management of ISIS Brides be established to inquire into and report on the national security, counter-terrorism and public safety risks arising from the return, or potential return, to Australia of Australians (including women and children) who have been associated with ISIS in Syria and/or Iraq, with particular reference to:

(a) the role, actions and decision-making processes of relevant Commonwealth ministers in relation to the repatriation, or proposed repatriation, of Australians linked to ISIS, including but not limited to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General and their offices and any other relevant portfolio minister and their offices; including:

(i) consideration of ministerial briefings, directions and approvals,

(ii) decisions relating to the issuing, refusal or cancellation of passports,

(iii) the making, revocation or consideration of temporary exclusion orders,

(iv) the exercise of citizenship cessation or migration-related powers,

(v) engagement with and representations from non-government organisations, legal representatives, advocacy groups or third parties,

(vi) meetings between ministers or their offices and departmental officials,

(vii) interdepartmental and interagency coordination, and

(viii) any other correspondence, advice or involvement by ministers, their offices or departments relating to the assessment, facilitation or management of repatriation activities;

(b) the current threat assessment relating to Australians linked to ISIS, including:

(i) the number and status of individuals overseas and returned,

(ii) Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation and Australian Federal Police assessments of short-term and long-term risk, and

(iii) the potential for radicalisation, facilitation, recruitment or support activities within Australia;

(c) the adequacy of Australia's legislative framework to mitigate risks posed by returning individuals, including:

(i) counter-terrorism offences under the Commonwealth Criminal Code,

(ii) declared area provisions,

(iii) control orders and preventative detention orders,

(iv) continuing detention orders,

(v) terrorism notification requirements, and

(vi) citizenship cessation and passport cancellation power;

(d) consular and welfare assistance, including coordination with non-government organisations and international organisations;

(e) the operational capability and resourcing of relevant Commonwealth agencies, including Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Home Affairs, to:

(i) investigate and gather admissible evidence from foreign conflict zones,

(ii) prosecute terrorism-related offences,

(iii) conduct ongoing monitoring, surveillance and disruption activities, and

(iv) manage long-term security risks;

(f) the intergovernmental coordination between Commonwealth, state and territory authorities, including:

(i) information sharing arrangements,

(ii) risk management frameworks, and

(iii) community safety planning and law enforcement preparedness;

(g) the specific risks posed by returning these women and children, including:

(i) exposure to extremist ideology or training,

(ii) safeguarding against future radicalisation pathways, and

(iii) appropriate security-informed child protection responses;

(h) the experience of comparable allied nations in managing the return of ISIS-linked individuals, including best practice models for risk mitigation and prosecution;

(i) the cost implications of monitoring, prosecution, detention and long-term security management of returnees;

(j) whether any legislative amendments or new powers are required to ensure Australia's national security framework is sufficient to address the risks associated with returning ISIS-linked individuals; and

(k) any related matters.

(2) That the committee present its final report by 17 September 2026.

(3) That the committee consist of 7 senators, as follows:

(a) two nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

(b) three nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate;

(c) one nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate; and

(d) one nominated by minority party or independent senators.

(4) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minority party or independent senator;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of a committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(5) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(6) That the committee elect as chair a member nominated by the Opposition and, as deputy chair, a member nominated by the Government.

(7) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(8) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(9) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(10) That the committee has power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(11) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.

(12) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.