Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister explain how the government is working with states and territories to ensure the most effective and coordinated approach to preventing a terrorist attack in the future?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and I note his long experience in counter-terrorism matters and the continued effective contribution he makes to the government's efforts in this area and our policy development.

Since 12 December last year, when our national security agencies raised the national terrorism public alert level to high, 24 people have been charged as a result of nine counter-terrorism operations around Australia. That is more than a third of all terrorism related arrests since 2001. The government approaches this issue in a very agile way. We are constantly monitoring the threat; we are working closely with states and territories and ensuring that our laws give our security services the powers that they need to deal with the challenge.

In the next sitting fortnight, the government will be introducing into the parliament a fifth instalment of counter-terrorism laws, which have been developed in conjunction with New South Wales and, of course, the other states and territories. It was foreshadowed by the Attorney-General at the Countering Violent Extremism summit in June this year. The bill will, among other things, lower the age for a control order from 16 to 14 years of age. It will facilitate the monitoring of individuals subject to control orders, provide greater protection to sensitive information in control order proceedings and protect against the incitement of genocide. It has been the result of a very thorough pre-iterative consultation.

As long ago as June this year, the Attorney-General announced the foreshadowed changes for introduction. They were approved via the National Security Committee of Cabinet in June. In August, the New South Wales Premier, Mr Baird, wrote to the former Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, proposing further changes, and draft provisions were circulated to states and territories in early September. Shortly after that, Mr Abbott responded positively to the New South Wales Premier's letter, stating that some of the issues were already dealt with in the proposed bill and other issues would be pursued as a matter of priority through the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee. On 9 September and 9 October, the Commonwealth hosted videoconferences with states and territories to continue this consultation.

As honourable members know, later this week there will be a meeting here in Canberra of the leading officials of security, police and counter-terrorism agencies to further coordinate our response. So there is complete cooperation and consultation between all of the relevant agencies in Australia, and I thank all of the state and territory agencies for their collaboration and help with the Commonwealth in this vital matter of national security.