Senate debates

Thursday, 25 August 2011

Bills

Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Amendment Bill 2011; In Committee

1:08 pm

Photo of Nick SherryNick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

I table a supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to the government amendment to be moved to this bill. The memorandum was circulated in the chamber on 24 August 2011. I move government amendment (1):

(1)   Schedule 1, page 7 (after line 12), at the end of the Schedule, add:

16 After subsection 35(2A)

Insert:

(2AA)   The Inspector-General must include in a report prepared under subsection (1) the Inspector-General's comments on:

  (a)   the employment of any person under subsection 32(3) during the year to which the report relates (whether or not the employment commenced during that year); and

  (b)   any delegation under section 32AA in force during the year to which the report relates.

Briefly, the purpose of the amendment is the government responding to the recommendations made by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, and I thank the committee and the Senate for their valuable contribution to the bill. It provides that the annual report prepared by the Inspector-General of Intelli­gence and Security, the IGIS, include comm­ents on any matters arising during the year relating to the employment of and delegation of powers to individuals. This will provide further assurance that any delegation of power by the IGIS is adequately reported in each annual report. I commend the amend­ment to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported, with an amendment; report adopted.