Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Labor takes a different perspective to Senator Leyonhjelm on the delayed notification warrants scheme. Some of the powers conferred in this bill are clearly extraordinary, and, accordingly, are subject to sunsetting—sunsetting which Labor has brought back to just four years.

However, some parts of this bill are structural reforms. That is, enhancements to agency powers which are intended to be ongoing. The delayed notification warrant scheme is one such agency power. There is no need for this scheme to be sunsetted. This part of the bill brings the powers of the AFP into line with the other Australian police forces. I will quote from the Intelligence Committee again here:

While the Committee notes that delayed notification search warrants do represent a significant departure from the normal search warrant scheme provided for in the Crimes Act, it also notes that many other Australian police forces have access to similar, if not more intrusive, powers. Given the threat posed by terrorism and foreign fighters, the Committee considers it is appropriate that the AFP have access to these powers for serious terrorism offences.

Because we think that the balance has been struck on these issues in the Intelligence Committee's consideration, Labor opposes this amendment. The delayed notification warrant scheme is an important tool for the AFP in its counter-terrorism capacity.