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

Senator Xenophon, I am relying on what you are quoting to me from this Senate Alert Digest which addresses what may be done under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act. One of the agencies, as you know, which can avail itself of those powers in defined circumstances is ASIO. What ASIO may do, either by officers or by agents, including external third parties, is limited by the ASIO Act. What may be done under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act limited by that act. So there is a double set of safeguards. There are safeguards in the ASIO Act that apply to any conduct by or on behalf of ASIO, and there are safeguards in the TIA Act that apply to any activity authorised under that act and anyone. You asked what safeguards there are. There are safeguards in the forms of limitations of what may be done by ASIO under its act and under the TIA Act.