Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

HASTIE () (): I rise to support the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2023, as it will clarify the intended operation of certain provisions in the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. Specifically, the bill amends sections 65 and 137 of the TIA Act to ensure that foreign intelligence information obtained under certain warrants in the TIA Act can be communicated, used and recorded to protect Australia's national security. These changes will facilitate more timely sharing of foreign intelligence, which is critical to ensure our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are able to identify threats to Australia's national security as they arise and take the necessary steps to mitigate them. This includes malicious cyberactivity targeting Australian interests, terrorist communications and foreign intelligence services threatening Australia's interests.

Schedule1 of the bill will clarify the ability of agencies to communicate foreign intelligence information about threats to Australia in accordance with the proper performance of their functions. This bill, importantly, does not seek to alter or expand the information that may be intercepted under foreign intelligence warrants. The amendments would augment the existing requirement for the Attorney-General to approve the persons who can receive foreign intelligence information with an approach where the Attorney-General can limit communication and the use of information by specifying purposes or by imposing conditions for which the information can be shared.

Importantly, this bill also includes a number of safeguards to ensure that foreign intelligence information is used and communicated in a controlled and targeted way. This includes ensuring that where a person receives foreign intelligence information under the relevant parts of the TIA Act it may only be communicated in line with the relevant agency's proper performance of functions, duties or powers, and subject to any purposes specified or conditions imposed by the Attorney-General. The use of these provisions will remain subject to independent oversight by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.

The coalition will always support sensible changes which ensure that our legislation is fit for purpose, so that our intelligence agencies and the people who work in them can do their best to protect Australia and our national security. I thank the government for working with us on this, and we support this bill.

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