Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is not just about amendments (2) and (3) on the government sheet about communications to foreign intelligence agencies. In relation to that specifically, why is it necessary, given that under the present act ASIO, AFP and the Australian Crime Commission have access to AUSTRAC and the capacity to provide such information to a foreign intelligence agency? That is my understanding. Perhaps the minister can correct that. I understand that AFP, ASIO and the Australian Crime Commission, who already have access to AUSTRAC, can communicate that to foreign intelligence agencies. Perhaps the minister can check for me whether that is correct. If that is correct then why the need for ASIS to have access?

But my questions are more general than that because, whilst we are dealing at the moment with just these government amendments, a substantial part of the actual legislation that we are dealing with is about the granting to ASIS of access to AUSTRAC. That is a more general question that is not specific to these amendments. Why is that the case, effectively? How did this come into play?