Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Farrell, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the:

  (i) ongoing reports about foreign powers seeking to interfere in the domestic political and electoral affairs of Australia and other sovereign nations, including the revelations reported by the Four Corners program on 5 June 2017, and

  (ii) highly concerning nature of any attempt by a foreign power to interfere in the domestic political and electoral affairs of sovereign nations such as Australia, especially where it involves direct or indirect interference in the electoral process;

(b) calls on the Prime Minister to support a bipartisan reference to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) to inquire into and report on possible measures to address the risk posed by foreign governments and their agents seeking to improperly interfere in Australia's domestic political and electoral affairs; and

(c) acknowledges:

  (i) the current threat posed by foreign governments and their agents seeking to interfere in the domestic political and electoral affairs of sovereign nations, both in Australia and abroad,

  (ii) the source of that threat, including direct interference by foreign governments, such as through foreign intelligence and security services, and indirect interference through proxies, such as lobbyists, business representatives and other agents,

  (iii) existing measures to address foreign interference in domestic political and electoral affairs currently in place in comparable overseas jurisdictions, such as the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand,

  (iv) existing measures currently in place under Australian law which may be adapted or expanded to defend against interference by foreign governments or their agents in Australia's domestic political and electoral affairs, and

  (v) all direct and indirect influence by foreign intelligence agencies, including through traditional and social media, as well as cyber security attacks.

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.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) 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 government acknowledges that the threat of political interference by foreign intelligence services is a problem of the highest order and that it is getting worse. In early May this year, the Prime Minister initiated a comprehensive review of Australia's espionage and foreign interference laws, and the Attorney-General is leading this review. Following the completion of this review, a tranche of legislative reforms will be introduced into the parliament which, as per standard practice, will be immediately referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security for review. The committee will then have the chance to review these important matters in the usual way. A premature referral will only duplicate, if not delay, efforts already underway to review these matters.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to this motion.

Leave granted.

I move the amendments, as circulated in Senator Di Natale's name in the chamber:

Paragraph (b), omit “bipartisan”, substitute “multi-partisan”.

At the end of the motion, add:

(vi) that the Australian Greens and other minority groups and independent senators are unrepresented on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and that it would be highly inappropriate for only members of the Liberal and Labor parties to be represented on an inquiry into this matter, considering that members of these parties would be subjects of the inquiry; and

(d) calls for 1 member of the Australian Greens and 1 member of a minority group or independent to be appointed to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security for the purpose of any inquiry into the risk of interference of foreign powers or their agents in Australian domestic political and electoral affairs.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment to general business item No. 345 moved by Senator Ludlam, in the name of Senator Di Natale, be agreed to.

The Senate divided. [12:08]

(The Deputy President—Senator Lines)

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