Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank colleagues for their contributions to the debate on the Home Affairs and Integrity Agencies Legislation Amendment Bill 2017. As the Prime Minister announced in July 2017, the establishment of the Home Affairs portfolio is part of the most significant reforms to Australia's national intelligence and domestic security arrangements in decades. It is complemented by a strengthened role for the Attorney-General in oversighting our intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies. As the Prime Minister said when introducing the bill in December last year:

We must ensure Australians have confidence in the scrutiny and oversight of our intelligence agencies.

Security and integrity go hand in hand, each enables the other.

Colleagues have well canvassed the key elements of the bill in this place and the other, so I'll simply commend the bill to the Senate.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the bill be now read a second time.