Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to speak briefly to document No. 5, the report by the Commonwealth Ombudsman to the Attorney-General on the results of inspections of records under section 55 of the Surveillance Devices Act, perhaps in my capacity as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission. It is, if I might say so, a good report. It generally gives a tick to both the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police on the discharge of their responsibilities under the particular act. I think it is an opportunity to understand the work that these two Commonwealth law enforcement agencies do for all of us in Australia. They are both, particularly the Australian Crime Commission, given very stringent powers but are subject to very careful arrangements in the way they use those powers.

All in all the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission are there to protect Australians from serious and organised crime, and indeed all criminal activities. Across the board both the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission have a very high reputation for professionalism in the way they discharge their work in protecting Australia from crime. The parliamentary joint committee is in the throes of issuing a report looking at the future impact of serious and organised crime on Australia. Perhaps next week we might have an opportunity to discuss that report in some further detail. But I did want to use this particular report to again highlight the debt of gratitude that I think all Australians owe to the fine work and professionalism of the Australian Crime Commission, and all of its officers, and the Australian Federal Police.

Question agreed to.