Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

The amendment will mean that ASIO's foreign intelligence function is complementary to the functions of Australia's foreign intelligence agencies. The ASIO Act is currently limited to intelligence about foreign powers, which may not cover the same range of intelligence about individuals and non-state or non-political organisations that are covered by the Intelligence Services Act, so I emphasise that 'foreign powers' could be taken to read as being different from intelligence about individuals and non-state or non-political organisations.

An officer of the Attorney-General's Department gave a number of examples of the sorts of scenarios where the proposed amendment might apply at a Senate estimates hearing on 21 May 2011. The examples are: the proposed amendment will enable foreign intelligence collection agencies to better counter the activities of weapons proliferators. The proliferation of nuclear, biological, chemical and conven­tional weapons and related technologies is a complex global issue, and those involved include individuals and companies working in and across multiple countries.

Sitting suspended from 18:30 to 19:30