Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Can I just reflect on that intervention from the honourable member: to think that there are not people in my electorate who are very interested in what this minister has to say about resurgent terrorism, who are not interested in what this minister has to say about law and order issues. I am personally offended by that and I know that members of my electorate would be offended by the suggestion, because the minister, this excellent minister, has not only visited many places around the country; he visited my electorate on 30 April. He had an opportunity to listen to people in my electorate about what their concerns are—things in his area of portfolio responsibility. As you know, Honourable Member, strategy without resources is an illusion. So the funding required to respond to those concerns is absolutely essential.

Thank you for the call, Deputy Speaker. I will now take this opportunity to speak to the minister about the concerns in my electorate. He will recall from his visit to Launceston on 30 April—which was a very well attended ice forum—that a number of people also expressed to him their concerns about resurgent terrorism. When we talk about terrorism today, what we are saying is that about a quarter of the arrests that have happened in the last 15 years have happened in just the last 18 months. We are talking about resurgent terrorism as something that is a concern to everyone in our community, including people in my electorate of Bass. There is a very strong view in northern Tasmania that we need to act resolutely.

An honourable member interjecting—

The honourable member interjects, but I can remind him that, during six years of Labor government, when one piece of legislation was passed in response to terrorism, including requests from our defence and security agencies and requests from our police, what did those opposite do to respond to resurgent terrorism? One piece of legislation. We have passed four in the last 18 months. They cut funding for counter-terrorism operations by a third. When I stand up here and say that people in my electorate are concerned, they are not only concerned about what we are doing today but are also very concerned about the fact that, during six years of Labor and Labor-Greens government, funding for counter-terrorism operations was cut by a third.

What the people told the minister in Launceston on 30 April was that we need to do more to target those who engage in terrorism. We are talking not just about those people who make that decision to go overseas to Daesh-held areas in Iraq and Syria; we are talking also about people here in Australia who inexplicably recruit and provide funding for some of these acts. That is why their requests to this minister were that we do more in that area, and that is exactly what we have been doing. They talk about border security matters, Minister, and I know that it is in your portfolio, but resurgent terrorism is at the forefront of their thinking. What they are looking for is strong leadership; what they are looking for is substantial legislation to be passed, and that is exactly what has happened. Also, as terrorism adapts, as it impacts more in our community, they are asking us to do more. They are saying that we need to respond in a very positive way to those police and security agencies—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

The member says 'police state'.

See this speech in context