Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to thank the member for Cowan for moving this motion in this place at this time, particularly given the gravity of the subject matter that he is raising. Whilst I might have some concerns about the precise wording of the motion that the honourable member has put forward, the fact that the honourable member is starting a very important conversation and keeping threats to national security at the forefront of the public's mind should be commended.

One of the grave concerns I have had as a member of the security committee since 2005 and occupying the national security space since 2005 is that eventually and inevitably in this country an event will occur on this soil of the magnitude of the Bali event—or just a terrorism event. That event will basically be there to cause immense damage to the psyche of the Australian community. That will be its purpose; that will be its intent. Why I like what the member for Cowan is doing is that in some occasions, through some sections of the media and some sections of the commentariat, there is a belief that discussions about the liberties of those who might be impacted on by proposed laws in this place and proposed laws to come, but there is not a discussion about the threat that is posed to Australian citizens now and in the future.

As we know, the threat is increasing. You cannot just blithely say the threat to our nation's security is increasing; we know and I know, having occupied the intelligence community space for nine years, that the threat is accelerating and the government of the day needs to take the actions needed to protect its citizenry. To protect its citizens is the primary job of a government. Everything else flows from that point. You cannot have an economy if you do not have security. You cannot have individual liberties if you do not have security. Security underpins a functioning democracy. So again I welcome the conversation that has been commenced by the member for Cowan, because it should crystallise the public's attention about an increasing threat that we face.

I say respectfully to the Australian government that the report that I chaired—and the Attorney-General and member for Melbourne Ports were members of that committee, one of the best committees I have ever served on—in a bipartisan way reached 43 recommendations about proposed national security legislation reform. I have heard that the Attorney-General is bringing in a section of chapter 4, but there are many more important pieces of legislation, including that bete noire of the IPA: data retention. If a government is concerned and is making the right noises about being concerned about this nation's security, it must give its agencies all of the suite of powers that they need to deal with the terrorist threat. It has not done so. I urge the Attorney-General, using this forum to have this conversation with him, to bring all of the suite of powers that the intelligence agencies have been asking for for some period of time, including with the previous government, to the parliament at its earliest opportunity. This is not because we want to make political mileage; it is because powers of the magnitude proposed in this report need appropriate consideration so the citizenry's view can be taken into account.

It is vital that these powers be brought before the parliament sooner rather than later. I do not want to see data retention debated in this chamber and the chamber below after an event has occurred on Australia's soil. I am deeply apprehensive—as I started my speech by saying—that inevitably and in the not-too-distant future we will have an event on this soil. I do not want to be part of parliament that reacts to an event; I want to be part of a parliament that puts the laws in place to prevent that event from taking place. In commending the member for Cowan for this motion, I continue this important conversation with the member for Cowan and urge the government to bring all of the powers it can to this parliament to be debated in this place.

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