Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, I present the following reports: Examination of the Australian Federal Police annual report 2019-20, and Vaccine related fraud and security risks.

Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—I have presented the report of the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement's examination of the 2019-20 annual report of the Australian Federal Police. The committee thanks the AFP for once again providing an informative report outlining the work undertaken during this reporting period.

The committee acknowledges the significant efforts of the AFP during 2019-20 in addressing new challenges that arose directly from the COVID-19 pandemic whilst also pivoting to new ways to undertake ongoing work with the limitations imposed by adhering to COVID-19 safety. The impact that the AFP had on assisting Australia to remain relatively stable during this time cannot be overstated. The positive impact of the AFP during these very uncertain times has been noted by the committee in its other more in-depth inquiries into specific crime trends, and it certainly comes through in the progress report contained in this latest AFP annual report.

The committee made specific recommendations within its report regarding how the AFP could provide a deeper dive into its reporting of its performance framework. This recommendation was carried over from the committee's examination of the previous annual report, and our current report notes the AFP has already started investigating how to improve measurements such as its return-on-investment matrix. The committee looks forward to future annual reports which incorporate these new ways of analysing and measuring the impact of AFP work. The committee commends the AFP for the establishment of the Sensitive Investigations Oversight Board, to improve assurance that sensitive investigations remain independent, and notes that it also improved the effectiveness of the investigations themselves.

Mental health has been a focus broadly within our nation, and this is reflected within the AFP. The committee commends the AFP for responding to recommendations of recent reports into mental health in the AFP as well as for including information in the current annual report on steps being taken to support the mental health challenges inherent in the work being undertaken by AFP staff. I thank the AFP commissioner and officials for their valuable assistance to the committee, and the committee looks forward to continuing the examination of the work of the AFP through the upcoming review of the 2019-20 annual report.

I also presented the interim report of the law enforcement committee's inquiry into COVID-19 vaccine related fraud and security risks. This inquiry builds on the committee's final report, tabled in June this year, on its inquiry into COVID-19, criminal activity and law enforcement, which investigated crime trends, including organised crime and fraud, resulting from the pandemic and the measures taken to combat them. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic there were significant concerns from government and health authorities that organised crime groups may create a market for illicit or fake vaccines or undertake fraud using people's uncertainty or desire for vaccines as the bait. Unfortunately, the impacts of the pandemic, such as people working from home and being increasingly online, have increased both individuals' and businesses' susceptibility to fraud.

Fraud is not just an issue for individuals and businesses through the risk of losing money; fraud can also undermine the efforts of governments to respond quickly in crisis and emergency response situations, and can reduce the public's confidence in genuine communications from government and health practitioners. The committee is pleased to report that, at the time of writing, Australia has not seen the anticipated levels of scam and fraud activity related to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This is largely due to the no-cost nature of the government vaccine program. But it is also due to the early, strong and coordinated action from law enforcement agencies across Australia, under various jurisdictions, working collaboratively with health agencies in developing, implementing and protecting the vaccination program.

This report affirms several of the recommendations made in the earlier inquiry into COVID-19 crime trends but also makes a new recommendation relating to combating vaccine misinformation as well as ensuring that Indigenous and culturally diverse communities are supported with up-to-date, accurate and trusted information about the effectiveness of Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program.

The committee felt that this was necessary to combat the effects of misinformation which is leading to vaccine hesitancy and encouraging people to engage in acts of resisting lawful health directions. However, while the levels of fraud have not, to date, been as high as feared, the committee remains concerned about ongoing risks in this area, including that vaccine certificate fraud may arise in the future as governments look more and more to mass vaccinations as the key defence against coronavirus.

The committee has determined to publish its current findings with this interim report so that the inquiry can remain live to review ongoing developments in relation to vaccine and vaccine-related fraud and security risks, including the issue of vaccination certificates in the event that it becomes more relevant to the Australian context. A final report of this inquiry will be prepared and tabled in due course.

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