Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Minister Keenan yaps away, but the fact is that that report says:

The committee recommends that the scope of the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 be widened to include serious and organised crime in addition to terrorist activity and unlawful interference.

That is a direct quote from the committee report that was the basis of this legislation—the committee that this minister sat on. And now they come in here—when in the Senate we moved it back to the same definition that the committee recommended be used—and they want to get rid of 'organised crime'. (Extension of time granted) Regarding the Attorney-General's Department's submission on this bill, the minister says, 'Well, that's not the legislative definition.' The Attorney-General's Department's submission on this bill was in the previous parliament, because this is so urgent! It has gone from the previous parliament and legislation from 2016—it is so urgent! It has been hanging around, and the report from years ago says 'serious and organised crime'. That is what the Attorney-General's Department says.

But maybe the Attorney-General's Department, the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement and the Ice Taskforce are not enough. Let us have a look at what the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission says: 'serious and organised crime'. That is what they almost always use in their definition. Then there is the Australian Crime Commission Amendment (National Policing Information) Bill 2015, which Labor supported just last year. Guess what it refers to? 'Serious and organised crime.' Indeed, the Senate report on this very bill uniformly talks about targeting 'serious and organised crime'. Those opposite are critical of it, but they sat on the committee that was the basis of the bill. I have talked about the Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Ice Taskforce. Even the Attorney-General's Department Annual report 2015-16, tabled in the House on 7 November 2016, refers to the work that they have been doing to prepare this legislation. They say on page 30: 'serious and organised crime'.

So, for reasons of keeping a proper focus, Labor's amendment will be consistent with the advice that is out there publicly—with the advice that this government has put in place itself in other legislation that has been supported in a bipartisan way in this parliament, and with the advice from the very committee whose report is the basis of this legislation—the committee that this minister sat on.

So we are very concerned that this is walking away from the advice of experts. The idea that this government is essentially prepared to stop this legislation going through—it could go through in a nanosecond without this petulant approach of opposing these Senate amendments—is, I think, a serious mistake by the government. Perhaps the minister has an explanation as to why he sat on the committee report and made that definition. We can see why he is still in the same position after all these years. I understand that. He is just busy undermining all the organisations, the infrastructure department, the Attorney-General's Department—

Mr Keenan interjecting—

There he is, babbling away there, not coming to terms with the fact that it is no wonder this government could not convince anyone in the Senate. These amendments did not just fall across the line by the way—they had everyone, because the Senate took a commonsense approach to this legislation.

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