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

Thank you, Senator Bushby. That of course is a very important question. I can advise the Senate that, as has been reported, last week our law enforcement and intelligence agencies disrupted what AFP Deputy Commissioner Mike Phelan described as 'one of the most sophisticated plots that has ever been attempted on Australian soil'. On 3 August 2017, two men—a 49-year-old man from Lakemba and a 32-year-old man from Punchbowl—were charged with two counts of acts done in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act, contrary to section 101.6 of the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty for which, by the way, is life imprisonment.

The plot, it will be alleged, was to use an improvised device to bring down an aircraft in Australia. It would have potentially been the deadliest terrorist attack ever conducted against Australians, with the greatest potential loss of life from any single terrorist attack since 9/11. It is a stark reminder that, even as ISIL loses ground in Syria and Iraq, and as the so-called caliphate collapses, the threat from terrorism at home and overseas continues to evolve. The successful disruption of this plot is testament to the professionalism of our intelligence agencies and of state and Commonwealth law enforcement, and it is a consequence, in part, of the close cooperation of our domestic and international partners. As I have often said, it is the first duty of government to keep its citizens safe. This government has a proven track record of providing our agencies with the resources and the legal powers they need to protect our community from terrorism.