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

If there is anything at all that the sideshow opposite has taught us over the past month, it is their absolute obsession with power. While the now Morrison government play musical chairs opposite, they have also released a draft bill that could give them access to your online data, based on their own assessment, without any sort of independent overview. This is an important issue.

Several of my constituents from Darwin have spoken with me about their concerns. They spoke about what it could mean for all of us—individuals and businesses—and for public safety and the economy if the government compels the creation of online security vulnerabilities. It's fair to say that what they are really concerned about is that the government wants to do this with no right of appeal, no oversight, no review committee and no judicial scrutiny—just the Attorney-General. The bill says that it is the Attorney-General himself or herself who must be satisfied with the Attorney-General's own request that it's reasonable and proportionate. I guess this is what passes for a decision process in this government. Meanwhile, Labor believes that, when designing laws to protect the Australian community, it is essential we work to uphold the rights and freedoms that our nation has proudly defended since Federation.