Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Molan for his question and, of course, I acknowledge his service in helping to keep our country safe. The coalition government's first priority is to keep our community safe from those who seek to do us harm. Since September 2014, when the national terrorism threat level was raised, 144 people have been charged as a result of 71 counterterrorism related operations around Australia; 21 major counterterrorism disruption operations have been undertaken in response to potential or imminent attack planning in Australia; and, sadly, nine Australians have lost their lives.

We know our law enforcement and security agencies are among the best in the world, but we have to ensure that they have the powers that they need. That is why, since 2014, our government has now passed 29 tranches of national security legislation. This legislation has, of course, been crucial in providing our law enforcement and security agencies with the framework and powers needed to identify, target and disrupt those who seek to do harm to Australia, to Australians and to our way of life. However, we now have a significant challenge that has been facing our counterterrorism efforts in recent years. Currently, there are 18 convicted terrorists who are due for release over the next five years and who can still pose a very significant risk to the Australian community. That is why our government has methodically built a world-leading framework to effectively manage those persons over the coming years.

We can't eliminate entirely the risk of terrorism any more than we can eliminate the risk of any serious crime. However, we can take appropriate action. (Time expired)