Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor Party made it very clear in the second reading debate on these matters that our approach on this question is to ensure that we are able to secure an appropriate balance between ensuring the security of our people and national institutions and the questions of civil liberties. This is a commitment that we make to ensure that Australians are safe from any threat of terrorism, and that commitment extends to ensuring that we not only have the resources to fight acts of terrorism but insist that the government also ensure the protection of fundamental human rights in this matter. However, this support, bipartisan in many respects, does not go on the basis of a blank cheque for whatever the government proposes.

We have argued that, where appropriate, the Labor Party will seek improvements to legislation in line with our values, with our highest priority being to ensure that we are able to protect the safety of our community. In that manner, we have argued the case on this question and are pleased to acknowledge that the government have picked up the fundamental points we have raised with regard to the very important principle of legal representation and that this amendment is designed to ensure that any young person subject to a control order has the right to be provided with a lawyer to advise and represent them. We regard that as a fundamental protection and, accordingly, we will be supporting the government's amendment as circulated on sheet ZA417.