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

I addressed this before. One would assume that, given this legislation is about setting up a system for ASIS to access AUSTRAC, ASIS have not previously had access to AUSTRAC, but I thought it was worth asking the question. Senator Ludwig was indicating previously—and if I am misrepresenting him, I ask him to please correct me—that he thought that they already had that access. That is the reason I asked the question. I understand what the legislation is about and what follows from it. But I thought it was worth asking whether that meant that up until now ASIS have never had access to AUSTRAC information.