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

Thank you to the minister for raising the issue of the Intelligence Services Act because it was an issue that I addressed in my second reading debate speech and I have some questions on it. Section 11(1) of the intelligence act talks about the functions of ASIS—and this is what I talked about in my second reading debate speech. It says they are:

... to be performed only in the interests of Australia’s national security, Australia’s foreign relations or Australia’s national economic well-being and only to the extent that those matters are affected by the capabilities, intentions or activities of people or organisations outside Australia.

My question is: will the foreign minister have to amend, or make any new rules regarding ASIS’s use of information about Australians through their financial transactions as proposed in this legislation, this section of the Intelligence Services Act? Perhaps I can flag the two sections for the officials and the minister: section 11(1) of the Intelligence Services Act and section 15, which I mentioned in my second reading debate speech and which I have got questions about now. The first question is about section 11(1) of the Intelligence Services Act. Will the foreign minister need to make any new rules regarding ASIS’s use of the information that is being proposed in this legislation under the Intelligence Services Act?