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

Thank you, Senator Paterson, for the question. I have seen the media coverage regarding this issue in the last couple of days. What I can advise the chamber is that the Attorney-General has requested advice on whether a government-wide ban is required to address protective security risks. Of course, the Albanese government take national security seriously, and we will always act in the national interest.

You may have seen, Senator Paterson, that the defence minister, Mr Marles, has made public commentary to the effect that the government is doing an assessment of all the technology for surveillance within the defence state, and, where those particular cameras are found, they're going to be removed. So there is an issue here, and we're going to deal with it. I think the government has been very clear in taking responsibility for addressing this issue.

I can also advise that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and its portfolio agencies do not have any installed devices manufactured by the companies concerned. DFAT, Austrade and Tourism Australia retain some legacy Hikvision or Dahua manufactured CCTV systems in non-sensitive areas, and these are not connected to the internet or to agency IT networks.

It is worth making the point that these cameras were installed not under the Albanese government but under a coalition federal government. It is good that Senator Paterson is now taking an interest in this issue—an issue that neither he nor anyone in the former government saw as worthy of investigation at the time. Unlike the coalition government, this government is taking action, and, as I say, the Attorney-General has requested advice on whether a government-wide ban is required to address protective security risks. As Senator Paterson knows, having asked those questions on notice, departments and agencies have provided answers to them.