Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am wondering if you can let us know—and this starts to come close to the purpose of the amendment that I have circulated—whether ASIO will be required to periodically report to the minister and/or the parliament about what agencies it has shared information with and how often. To forestall pushback by the minister or by the officers of the Attorney who have joined us today, I am not intending when I speak about disclosure that we would be publishing sensitive information about national security. We are just seeking really how often has ASIO shared information with somebody outside the intelligence community and the broad nature of it. So we are not interested in state secrets here; it is more about the mechanics of how it is operating. Perhaps while you are taking these matters on board, Minister, can you describe how, if at all, these reporting obligations differ from the status quo as already contained in the ASIO and the T(IA) Act?