Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

In your commentary just then you said that you inferred that the answer would be yes. I would argue to the contrary—that, on the suggestion that ASIO may be a force for hire, this is simply not the case. It is unlikely that an agency would see any merit in being involved in a multi-agency team if it were totally removed from their functions. Agency heads have to agree to any cooperation or assistance arrangements under these provisions. The provision of assistance in areas not directly connected to the functions of an agency might be considered in other contexts, such as providing assistance of a technical nature, as in relation to telecommunications interceptions or translations. However, agencies have finite and limited resources, which acts as a self-regulatory constraint, and I can assure senators that ASIO is not simply waiting around for requests for assistance from other agencies.