Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I appreciate the courtesy. We now are at risk of not passing important national security legislation which I and other members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security have worked very hard on. We gave the government very clear notice in that report—a unanimous report—that there would be amendments to that legislation and they needed to reflect the PJCIS's recommendations. Notice was clearly given by the shadow Attorney-General in the House of Representatives that some of the amendments did not reflect the bipartisan committee recommendations, and those would be moved in the Senate. We have a letter from Mr Christian Porter, reflecting the fact that government amendments would be moved in the Senate.

In those circumstances, this delay, which is about the government's political priorities on the floor of the House of Representatives, will prevent important national security legislation from becoming law, and I urge the government to reconsider its position. I urge the government to stop this filibustering; to ensure we can bring on the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill, a national security bill that has bipartisan support; to enable the amendments that reflect the majority report of the parliamentary Joint Committee to be passed; and to ensure that the House remains so it becomes law so that our security agencies have the powers they need. Their failure to keep the House because they are so worried about this bill is an indictment on a government—on any government—that says it says it cares about national security! Australians' safety is worth more than the political points you are seeking to avoid in the House of Representatives.