Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

If I can just go back for a second, in terms of earlier: I've sought to answer all of your questions, and I'll continue to seek to answer your questions. But where I am not answering is where I've answered a question several times. In the case of Senator Rhiannon, I think there was a question that had been asked and answered a number of times. I'm here to give as much information as I can, but I don't think it's helpful to go and ask the same question again. I'll just put that on the record. In relation to this one: there's nothing that you've put forward there that would, in any way, engage the sabotage offences. I can't see any link that would possibly see an organisation that was based in Australia and that campaigned for the boycott of certain Australian products, in any way, engage the sabotage offences—or any others that I can see, but the sabotage is the one you mentioned.

A sabotage offence is: a person engages in conduct that damages public infrastructure—and that's defined—and intends that, or is reckless as to whether, their conduct will prejudice Australia's national security or advantage the national security of a foreign country. As I said, public infrastructure is defined as certain facilities—Commonwealth facilities, defence premises, telecommunication networks, et cetera. They'd have to be damaging that public infrastructure and they would have to intend to or be reckless as to whether in damaging that public infrastructure their conduct would prejudice Australia's national security. Nothing you've set out there, on the advice I have or on my reading of the legislation, would in any way go anywhere near being an offence under that particular provision or any other provision that I'm aware of.