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

I remind those listening that Senator Wang's amendment would provide for the notification of journalists after the fact that a warrant has been issued in relation to their telecommunications data. This bill already reflects protections for journalists arising out of the joint committee's considerations and recommendations and is implementing the warrant regime for journalists that Labor argued for and achieved in the other place. We believe that those amendments to the bill already provide ample oversight of access to the telecommunications data of journalists.

The bill in its amended form provides that the IGIS, the Ombudsman and the committee itself will be notified when a journalist's data is accessed. These bodies are well placed to make inquiries and to ascertain whether this access was indeed appropriate. Labor appreciates that Senator Wang has been concerned, as I indeed mentioned that Labor was, that the way in which this bill has proceeded has not brought the public with it, and we appreciate his efforts to deal with this aspect, but we think the arrangements as reflected in the bill now are satisfactory.