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

The government opposes this amendment. Proposed section 187N provides for quite a detailed scheme for the review of the operation of the relevant part of the act. The review was to be conducted by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The period by which the review must commence and by which it must be concluded, which are both in the near future, are specified. It is routinely the role of the PJCIS to review the operation of legislation of a national security character, which is what this legislation is. It would be unusual—I am not sure if it would be unprecedented, but it would certainly be unusual—for the review of legislation of this kind to be conducted by any other organ of the parliament other than the PJCIS. Its reports, of course, are public and will be able to be debated in this chamber at the appropriate time. The government sees no persuasive reason for departing from the orthodox position that when one is dealing with the review of operation of new elements of national security legislation, the PJCIS is the appropriate organ to conduct that review.