Senate debates

Thursday, 28 June 2018

Bills

National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2018; In Committee

4:43 pm

Photo of Lee RhiannonLee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to move on to some questions about section 91.1. This is the section about espionage and dealing with information concerning national security—how it's communicated et cetera. Firstly, I want to understand some of the definitions that are dealt with here in terms of what the reach of them is. The word 'deals' is used—we're talking about 'deals with information'. It's defined in section 90.1(1) to include if a person:

(a) receives or obtains it;

(b) collects it;

…   …   …

(h) communicates it;

(i) publishes it;

(j) makes it available.

Minister, isn't this what journalists do? I'm just checking, therefore—because I have further questions—that this is the section under which people who are communicating, like journalists, could be captured.

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