George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

I today referred this bill to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and requested that the committee report by Friday, 17 October. That will enable the bill to be debated in this chamber in the week commencing Monday, 27 October. I understand that this is a relatively expedited consideration of the bill by the committee. However, the government has today met with the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Attorney-General. I am able to inform the chamber that the Leader of the Opposition has been good enough to write to the Prime Minister to assure him that the opposition will do all in its power to facilitate the effective and expeditious passage of the bill through the parliament by the end of October. I am assured by the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Mr Tehan, the member for Wannon, that the bill can be considered by the committee in particular in the two non-sitting weeks between Monday, 6 October and Friday, 17 October. In order to assist the committee with expediting its scrutiny of the bill, I have indicated to the chair of the committee that I am prepared to make available to the committee officers of the Attorney-General's Department.