New legislation passed in Parliament today will help keep Australians safe - by allowing Australia's intelligence agencies respond to terrorist threats more quickly and improve emergency assistance to Australians in trouble overseas.
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said the passing of the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 1) Bill builds on the Morrison Government's strong support for our national security agencies in Tuesday's Federal Budget.
"The Budget is underpinned by our commitment to make Australia stronger and keep Australians safe in an increasingly uncertain world. We're investing $9.9 billion to boost cyber and intelligence capability, and an extra $280 million to boost law enforcement capability," Minister Andrews said.
"Our laws must continue to keep pace with the evolving operational environment and changes in technology. It's about ensuring intelligence agencies have the powers - and capabilities - they need to protect Australians and our way of life.
"Terrorist acts can evolve rapidly from planning to implementation. The ability to quickly produce intelligence can be the difference between an attack occurring or being successfully foiled.
"Too often governments are forced to act in the midst of a crisis. Australians will be better protected through these amendments which allow intelligence agencies to act quickly where an Australian is facing imminent harm, such as an offshore kidnapping.
"Any unnecessary delay - even a matter of minutes - can mean a missed opportunity to provide assistance to an Australian at imminent risk of harm.
"Today's Bill forms part of the Government's response to the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community. It reflects our commitment to the continual improvement of Australia's robust national security laws," Minister Andrews said.
Minister Andrews said the Bill strikes the right balance between protecting individual rights and freedoms, and protecting the community from emerging threats to our security.
"The Bill ensures agencies remain subject to robust oversight and accountability mechanisms, including Ministerial oversight and requirements for reporting to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, at all times."
Key elements of the National Security Legislation Amendment Bill include:
- a clearer Ministerial authorisation framework for intelligence agencies, including new emergency authorisation provisions to assist Australians at imminent risk overseas, for example in the event an Australian is kidnapped or held hostage;
- authorisation for agencies to produce foreign intelligence on Australians who are, or are likely to be, involved with listed terrorist organisations;
- strengthened arrangements for Australian intelligence agencies to cooperate with each other, and with other organisations;
- improved transparency of agencies' privacy protections for Australians, by clarifying the scope of agencies' privacy rules, creating a legislative requirement that privacy rules be publicly available and allowing the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to review those rules.
