Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Australian government's first responsibility is to keep Australians safe and secure, and this includes protecting Australians from transnational, serious and organised crime. That is why I today introduce the Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2019,to ensure that security-sensitive areas at Australia's airports, seaports and offshore facilities are not accessible by serious criminals.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the Australian way of life. It causes enormous human suffering and is estimated by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to cost the Australian economy more than $47 billion per annum.

Airports and seaports are transit points for organised criminals to import weapons, illicit drugs and other harmful goods into Australia. Trafficking of these illicit goods puts Australia's security and prosperity, and the welfare of our communities, at great risk.

The 2015 National Ice Taskforce and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Law Enforcement have both recommended that Australia's aviation and maritime environments be hardened against these risks by strengthening the eligibility criteria under the aviation and maritime security identification card schemes (ASIC and MSIC schemes). This bill delivers on this recommendation.

The ASIC and MSIC schemes are essential in ensuring security within Australia's transport network. Persons who hold an ASIC or MSIC card are able to access the most secure areas of Australia's airports and seaports. To attain an ASIC or MSIC card, a background check is required. However, at present, the background check only determines whether a person may be a threat to aviation or maritime security. It does not consider whether the person has a history of involvement in serious crime. This leaves our airports and seaports vulnerable to exploitation by serious criminals. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has identified that almost 300 ASIC or MSIC card holders have known criminal links to organised motorcycle gangs and other serious and organised crime groups on the ACIC's National Criminal Target List.

ASIC and MSIC card holders can abuse their privileged position for criminal purposes, and card holders are able to assist crime syndicates by facilitating the transit of illicit goods through our transport networks and border controls. For example, a Sydney airport baggage handler is currently before the courts charged with using his trusted position to bypass customs processes. The handler was part of an alleged trafficking syndicate, and he is alleged to have used his airside access to transit large amounts of cocaine undetected through border control.

The bill will address such criminality at our airports and seaports by broadening the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 beyond their present focus on security to include provisions aimed at addressing crime.

The bill establishes a regulatory framework for introducing new eligibility criteria to address the existing vulnerability across both schemes and to ensure that persons convicted of serious offences will be ineligible to hold an ASIC or MSIC card. In addition, the bill will strengthen the regulatory framework by harmonising the eligibility criteria under each scheme. These changes will reduce the ability of criminals to exploit Australia's aviation and maritime networks for illicit gain.

In conclusion, the Australian government is committed to improving safety and security outcomes for all Australians. The ASIC and MSIC card schemes are an important part of securing the aviation and maritime sectors. Any person with an operational need to access a security-sensitive area at an airport or seaport should be of proper character. This bill will ensure that this is the case.

The reforms presented in this bill were reviewed by the Senate Standing Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee during the previous term of parliament, and the committee recommended that they be passed without amendment. The imperative for this legislation is clear. It will reduce the ability of organised crime groups to engage in illegal activities at airports and seaports.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.