Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee's report entitled Annual report of committee activities 2022-2023. I'm pleased to present the committee's annual report on the activities of 2022-23. In line with the requirement under section 31 of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 that the committee report annually on its activities, this report provides details of the committee's work in the financial year ending on 30 June 2023.

Following the May 2022 election, the committee was established on 7 September 2022 and immediately recommenced work on four statutory and oversight reviews that carried over from the previous parliament. The committee's workload then grew steadily in the ensuing months. In its 10 months of operation during the reporting period, the committee worked on 14 inquiries and reviews—that's a lot. We held 50 meetings and briefings and seven public hearings and also undertook three site visits within Australia. The committee completed eight reviews and reported to parliament on them.

Key matters before the committee during the review period included the review of 13 terrorist listings under the Criminal Code and overlapping work on two annual reviews of intelligence agencies' administration and expenditure. The committee also completed four bill inquiries referred by ministers, which have since been passed by parliament and become acts. These were the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Modernisation) Bill 2022; item 250 of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2022; the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2023; and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2023.

Between September 2022 and June 2023, the workload of the committee grew steadily to what I would probably say as an understatement was a high pace of activity which continued throughout the remainder of 2023. Management of a consistently heavy workload remains a challenge for our committee. Legislation presently before parliament that would further expand the oversight responsibilities of the committee promises a further significant increase in the demands on all members going forward. In this light, the committee has encouraged the government to be realistic in its expectations, particularly in relation to requested time frames for bill reviews. In a kind and polite way, just give us a bit of breathing space because there are a lot of reviews underway at the one time. A healthy democratic process and quality national security oversight requires that wherever possible the committee be provided the appropriate time and space necessary to do its work well.

The committee looks forward to continuing to exercise its functions in the remainder of the 47th Parliament. On behalf of the committee I wish to thank all those who made contributions to the various inquiries and reviews undertaken over the 2022-23 financial year, with a special mention to the very hardworking staff of the secretariat. Obviously, we couldn't do our job without them. They were exemplary. I also thank all of the member of the committee who worked so hard, in a largely bipartisan way, as we worked towards the best possible recommendations for the government for the best possible results for the national interest. I commend the report to the House.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).