Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Can I first say to Senator Back that of course I would not be discussing what intelligence advice the government received from those agencies. I think that was the policy of the previous government and it is a well-established policy in terms of Australian government procedures. But there is no doubt we receive intelligence reporting on any potential activity of organisations that may be of concern, both internationally and in Australia. As you know, Senator, there has been action taken regarding fundraising efforts inside this country in support of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

I will take on notice the detail, but my memory—I will correct this if I am wrong—is that the previous government made a change in about 2001 which banned the practice of fundraising and financing the Tamil Tigers in Australia. I will correct that immediately if I am wrong, but I think it was around 2001 that the previous government put that arrangement in place to try to combat concerns that the Tamil Tigers were being financed out of Australia and allegedly by the Tamil community in Australia. Similar activities have been taken by other nations where it was thought the Tamil diaspora might be funding the LTTE and some of their activities. That was certainly a concern of the previous government and arrangements were put in place to try to prevent that funding occurring and, as you know, through AUSTRAC and other measures we have sought to ensure that financing of such organisations does not occur. Obviously I cannot report on more recent intelligence response advice other than to say that we of course continually receive that advice from the relevant Australian agencies.