Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone. This is a very important point that I know Senator Wong was also going to in her answer to Senator Paterson's questions. I have outlined the approach that this government have taken in the short time that we've been in office in response to cybersecurity in general, and in response to this particular data breach. The contrast to the inaction and sloth that we saw, for 10 years, from the then government could not be greater.

To give you one example: in March 2019—over three years ago—the then Attorney-General Mr Porter stated that 'existing protections and penalties for misuse of Australians' personal information fall short of community expectations'. That was three years ago. He followed it up by finally introducing legislation in June 2019, saying, again, that penalties needed to be increased for data privacy breaches. That legislation then sat around doing nothing for three years. Further legislation was introduced just before the election—and nothing happened. I noticed Mr Tehan this morning said the former government was 'asleep at the wheel'. Here is yet another example of it doing so. (Time expired.)