Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

' SULLIVAN (—) (): At the request of Senator Birmingham, I move:

That—

(a) the Senate notes that during question time on Monday, 4 September 2023, Senator Wong stated that in November 2022 the Government was provided with security advice recommending that new Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) Guidelines were required and that new SPA reports be presented in a manner consistent with the revised security guidelines; and

(b) the Senate orders the Minister representing the Minister for Defence (Senator Wong), to provide to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, on a confidential basis, by Thursday, 7 September 2023, a copy of the revised SPA Guidelines and any related advice that informed the change to the SPA Guidelines.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting this motion. The government has acted on the advice of security agencies in relation to reporting the use of special purpose aircraft. Security agencies could not have been clearer when they said the level of information previously published was not fit for purpose. The Leader of the Opposition, himself, has said that security agencies are best placed to complete the threat assessments in relation to the security of politicians and their families. Unlike those opposite, who stopped all reporting on the use of special purpose aircraft, without reason, we have restarted publishing. We are publishing information that is safe to publish and that reflects the advice of security agencies.

Question agreed to.