The Albanese Government has today introduced legislation to ensure Australians can continue to be confident that their intelligence agencies operate in a way that is transparent, proportionate and accountable.
The Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill will provide for enhanced and holistic oversight of Australia's National Intelligence Community.
The Bill will strengthen and expand the oversight responsibilities of the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to encompass the entirety of the National Intelligence Community - including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and the intelligence functions of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Home Affairs.
National security threats are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, requiring greater collaboration and engagement between the agencies in the National Intelligence Community. To respond to these threats, intelligence agencies are entrusted with significant powers to protect Australians from those who would seek to do us harm. Achieving this outcome requires balancing national security interests and the preservation of essential individual liberties. Enabling uniform oversight across the agencies will ensure their intelligence capabilities are subject to rigorous and specialised oversight, commensurate with their significant powers.
The Bill will also make a range of amendments to ensure our oversight arrangements remain robust. This includes strengthening the relationship between key oversight bodies, as well as amendments to enable the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor to review the full suite of Australia's contemporary counter-terrorism and national security laws.
The Bill also delivers on key recommendations made by previous independent reviews of Australia's intelligence community to ensure that our intelligence framework is modern, accountable and fit for purpose in an increasingly challenging security environment.
Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General, Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
"The Albanese Government is committed to an intelligence community that can keep Australians safe and is trusted by the public.
"By establishing a holistic and consistent oversight framework for the National Intelligence Community, the Bill ensures that Australians can continue to have confidence that our intelligence agencies operate with integrity and accountability.
"As the National Intelligence Community evolves to meet the complex and dynamic security challenges we face, this Bill ensures that our independent oversight bodies continue to be empowered to provide critical democratic safeguards."
