James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to advise that the coalition will also be opposing this Greens amendment. It is a recommendation of Dennis Richardson which the former government has accepted, as has this government. I think it is self-evidently easy to understand how ASIO may need to have access to this information, to use this information and to share this information. To give just one hypothetical example for the benefit of the chamber, ASIO now has centralised responsibility for top-secret security clearances. Wouldn't it be obvious why ASIO might need access to and might need to share information on someone applying for a top-secret security clearance who has a conviction which might be spent but nonetheless relevant in the granting of a TS security clearance and, therefore, to a job in a highly sensitive role in the Commonwealth?