Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Centre Alliance will be supporting this motion. Whilst it's essential to ensure that law enforcement can investigate serious crimes through timely access to electronic data, it is vital that any bilateral data access regimes should properly protect the rights and privacies of Australian citizens. That includes strong protection for journalists and media organisations that may be targeted in the US government's politically driven crackdown on information leaks, whistleblowers, journalists and media organisations. Consequently, it will be essential that the Australian parliament, especially the Senate and its committees, keep a close watch on the progress of these negotiations. No agreement relating to the CLOUD Act should be signed until after the full text has been made public and subjected to review by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and other relevant parliamentary committees, and the parliament has examined and passed the necessary enabling legislation.