Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues for their contributions to this debate on the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2023. The government is committed to ensuring the legal framework in relation to the use, recording and communication of foreign intelligence information is fit for purpose and underpinned by robust safeguards and oversight mechanisms. Foreign intelligence information plays a critical role in enabling intelligence agencies to identify threats to Australia's national security, foreign relations and national economic wellbeing. The communication and use of this information is critical to identifying and mitigating these threats.

The bill does not grant any new powers or expand existing information practices in relation to foreign intelligence information. The bill clarifies the ability of agencies to communicate foreign intelligence information about threats to Australia, in accordance with the proper performance of their functions. We have a system of sharing foreign intelligence which has significant, strong and effective safeguards, and none of those are changing as a consequence of this bill. In fact, those safeguards are an essential part of advancing and protecting Australia's national security interests. The bill includes a number of safeguards to ensure that foreign intelligence information is used and communicated in an appropriate manner, including that the communication of foreign intelligence information remains subject to approval by the Attorney-General. The Attorney-General may also impose conditions on, or specify purposes for, the communication of foreign intelligence information.

The government is committed to ensuring that Australia's legal framework continues to support the work of national security agencies while also ensuring that these powers are subject to the appropriate safeguards. I'd like to thank my colleagues for their engagement with this debate—particularly the opposition for their support.

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