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

The report was bipartisan, notwithstanding the bleatings we hear from Senator Carr. In its concluding comments the committee states that it considered carefully the rationale for a mandatory data retention scheme and that, in the words of the committee:

… such a regime is justified as a necessary, effective and proportionate response.

The committee endorsed key elements of the scheme, including supporting the proposed two-year retention period on the basis that it was necessary and proportionate for a range of investigations into particularly serious types of criminal and security related activity.

The committee's recommendations are largely focused on two areas. First of all, ensuring that the data set and the agencies which can access the data are specified in the primary legislation rather than in the regulations, and in increasing the oversight mechanisms and privacy protections in the bill.

The government has announced that it will support all of the committee's recommendations, and I take this opportunity to thank the chair of the committee, Dan Tehan, and the deputy chair, Anthony Byrne, for their work in achieving a bipartisan agreement on this important measure.