Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to sum up the bill and, in doing so, note and thank members on both sides for their contributions. I acknowledge the shadow minister for immigration and border protection, Mr Neumann, who has joined me at the table, and his contribution to the debate.

The Australian Border Force Act 2015 provides an important regime in administering the secrecy and disclosure of information set out in part 6. The Australian Border Force Amendment (Protected Information) Bill 2017 clarifies part 6 and related provisions to reflect the original intent of the legislation, which was to prevent the unauthorised disclosure of information that could cause harm to the national or public interest. The aim of the measure in this bill is to ensure that immigration and border protection information is provided with the necessary level of protection in a targeted manner but also is able to be disclosed went it is appropriate to do so. This bill provides assurances for the Australian public, business, government and foreign partners that sensitive information provided to the department of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection will be appropriately protected without unnecessarily restricting informed public debate. The retrospective application of the bill, back to the date of the Australian Border Force Act that was enacted in 2015, will provide the necessary certainty that only information which would harm the national public interest if disclosed is to be protected and will be regarded as ever having been protected under the ABF Act.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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