Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I thank honourable senators for their contribution to the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Psychoactive Substances and Other Measures) Bill 2014, which delivers on the government's continuing commitment to combating drugs and gun-related crime. This bill will also ensure that Australia's criminal justice arrangements for the international transfer of prisoners, anti-money-laundering regime, counter-terrorism regime and investigation and prosecution of slavery offences remain up-to-date and effective.

The bill will reduce the availability of new psychoactive substances by banning their importation and allowing the Australian Customs and Border Protection officers and the Australian Federal Police officers to stop, seize and destroy these substances where they are detected. This will ensure that drug laws keep pace with new and emerging substances where they are presented as alternatives to illicit drugs. The bill also demonstrates the seriousness with which this government considers firearms trafficking and the gravity of supplying firearms and firearms parts to the illicit market by creating a more comprehensive set of firearm offences and penalties.

Australia's international transfer of prisoners scheme is important for community safety, as it ensures that prisoners can be reintegrated into that country's community and appropriately monitored, supervised and supported during the enforcement of the sentence. The bill will make existing processes governing the scheme more efficient, timely and simplified while appropriately maintaining prisoner rights.

This bill will also make clear that slavery offences within Commonwealth criminal law have universal jurisdiction. Slavery is amongst the most abhorrent of all crimes, and this amendment will ensure that Australian law enforcement agencies have the appropriate tools to target this crime wherever it occurs. In addition, the bill will take steps to improve Australia's anti-money-laundering regime by enhancing the ability of the Australian Taxation Office to coach tax cheats and bolster the budget's bottom line.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.