Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

From the outset, I just want to acknowledge previous speakers—the member for Wills, the chair of the PJCIS; and also the member for Fisher, the deputy chair—for their hard work, as well as fellow members of that committee. I confirm my ongoing admiration for those that are on the front line of our security and intelligence, the members of the national intelligence community, and all others that are working diligently to keep Australia safe and free.

The Albanese government is committed to the continual improvement of our national security laws to ensure our agencies are best equipped to continue their work to do exactly that—to keep Australia safe and to protect our way of life. To ensure these laws are keeping pace with an evolving security landscape, our government is introducing the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 3) Bill 2023. This bill is the latest in a series of targeted reforms to ensure intelligence agencies remain able to undertake their important work and undertake their functions efficiently, effectively and with appropriate oversight. This bill also addresses 12 of the recommendations of the 2019 Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the NIC, the national intelligence community. The bill supports Australia's national security agencies by: strengthening identity protections for their employees; improving operational flexibility and the ability of ASIO, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, to communicate information; providing greater certainty as to who can provide authorisations for various activities; and supporting quicker processing of security clearance suitability assessments.

The bill also promotes increased oversight, through supporting the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, IGIS, with the oversight of ASIO, by requiring ASIO to provide notifications to IGIS in certain circumstances relating to their security assessment and security clearance activities and making it clear that only the Attorney-General can exercise certain powers. The bill amends a number of pieces of legislation to address operational challenges facing the NIC, the National Intelligence Community, by refining the framework for ASIO security assessments; amending the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 to ensure the efficient and effective operation of ASIO security vetting and clearance related functions; enhancing protections for the identities of ASIO employees, affiliates and agents of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, ASIS, and the Australian Signals Directorate, ASD; and amending authorisation frameworks for certain intelligence activities.

The Australian government is committed to implementing the recommendations of the 2019 comprehensive review, led by Dennis Richardson AC, as quickly as possible, with the bill addressing 12 of these recommendations. The comprehensive review found that the legislative framework governing our intelligence agencies has been well maintained and is largely fit for purpose but that targeted reforms are required to ensure that our laws continue to keep pace with the ever-changing technological and security landscape of the times in which we live. The comprehensive review made a total of 203 recommendations. Given the total number of legislative measures arising out of the government response to that comprehensive review, implementation is being pursued progressively and seriously by our government.

I'm proud to be playing an ongoing role as a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee, and I take my hat off, again, to the chair and deputy chair in regard to the way in which they're pursuing that important work. Again, I say thank you to all those who are working so diligently, putting their lives on the line, and doing so with at times great sacrifice for their families, in order to keep us a safe and free people under the Southern Cross.

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