Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I can indicate that I, along with my colleagues Senators Kakoschke-Moore and Griff, do not support these amendments. I would like confirmation, subject to the government confirming to me what they have confirmed previously, that it will be introducing mandatory reporting legislation next month based on the exposure draft. Also, could the government confirm that Telstra will be an entity covered under the government's proposed legislation? I ask the minister that as well, so that is on the record.

If this amendment is passed, subject to the assurances and to the commitments and undertakings from the minister, it will create a separate data breach application notification regime just with this register, which would be inconsistent with the proposed laws. It is much cleaner to improve the mandatory data breach notification laws so that all affected entities are covered at once.

The current regime will suffice until the new legislation. We need to ensure that the government's new legislation is scrutinised and passed this year. I need that confirmation because our opposition to the amendment is conditional upon those assurances.