Nick Xenophon (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Australian Government has a fundamental duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that air travel in Australia is safe from malicious or terrorist activities,

(ii) Australia's aviation security obligations under the International Civil Aviation Organization's Convention on International Civil Aviation must be approached with world's-best practice in mind,

(iii) as part of the current aviation safety regime, the following categories are examples of people subject to mandatory screening at major airport terminals: passengers, cabin crew and pilots, and

(iv) with reference to regulation 4.11 of the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005, the following categories are examples of Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) holders who are not subject to mandatory screening at major airport terminals: baggage handlers, aircraft catering staff and ground service staff; and

(b) calls on the Government to repeal regulation 4.11 of the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005 to provide consistency by mandating screening at major airport terminals for all persons, other than those set out in:

(i) regulation 4.09(3) - people disembarking from an aircraft who have already been suitably screened, other than international transit passengers, cabin crew and pilots,

(ii) regulation 4.10 - law enforcement officers, screening personnel managing a screening point, emergency personnel responding to an emergency and members of the Defence Force responding to an event or threat, and

(iii) regulation 4.12 - heads of state, heads of government or foreign ministers.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government's No.1 priority is the safety and security of Australians. The government is already implementing strengthened airside security arrangements at Australia's nine major airports. The Transport Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 was passed by parliament in March, and amendments to the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005 are currently being drafted. The arrangements include the screening of people, vehicles and goods accessing security restricted areas. The International Civil Aviation Authority has determined that the strengthened airside security arrangements will meet its standards. The government can provide a briefing to Senator Xenophon and other interested senators on the strengthened arrangements.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion relates to ensuring that the screening at our airports is consistent, including the ground staff. At the moment, ground staff, baggage handlers, cleaners, caterers and others who have an ASIC card aren't necessarily screened when they have access to an aircraft, unlike all passengers, pilots and crew of an aircraft.

This motion came about as a result of discussions I've had with the peak pilots body in this country, AusALPA, which represents 5,000 commercial airline pilots, whose foremost concern is the safety of their passengers. This motion is about calling on the government to close a loophole in the screening at our airports. I urge honourable senators to support this motion.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Xenophon be agreed to.