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

I would like to indicate that Labor is satisfied that a two-year period is appropriate, for much the same reasons as Senator Brandis outlined. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security heard persuasive evidence to this effect, as it recorded in some detail in its report. This period has not just dropped out of the air, as Senator Ludlam might have been suggesting or characterising from last night's discussions in this debate. I would also like to note that the retention period is one matter expressly listed by the committee as a topic of the statutory review which this bill provides for. I would also like to address the concern that Senator Ludlam has raised about data perhaps being retained for up to four years. It seems he is misinformed on that point. It is only the subscriber details that will be retained for the further two-year period.