David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

He has been charged with attempted murder and he has been charged with providing material support. It just goes to show how senators are paying attention to this. He has been charged with providing material support to the Taliban, material support and resources to a terrorist organisation. They are the charges. These are very serious charges. Senator Stott Despoja says that this is retrospective. She then criticises members of the government for being judge and jury. Let me say this: if these charges are retrospective, the point is one for preliminary determination by the commission, as it properly should be. We may have a different legal position in this country, but that is not the point. The legislation has been transitioned over a long period. Indeed, the offence with which Hicks is apparently charged has been on the statute books in the United States for much longer than September 2001.