Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs. Last week we saw an exceptionally successful police operation that landed a significant blow on organised crime in Australia and abroad. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the Liberal-National government is building a more secure and resilient Australia in the face of growing threats to Australia's security?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Abetz for the question. Just last week, we saw why Australian governments can never take their eyes off protecting Australia and Australians from organised crime. Operation Ironside is a great example of cooperation between our law enforcement agencies and their overseas counterparts in our ever-constant fight against organised crime networks that target Australia.

Operation Ironside has inflicted significant damage to organised crime networks in Australia. Approximately 9,000 officers globally, including 4,500 from here in Australia, have been involved in this three-year covert operation. The operation has led to hundreds of alleged offenders being charged, over 100 weapons being removed from our streets and over 500 search warrants being executed across Australia. The work done by our law enforcement agencies in this operation has led to police acting on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five.

The Morrison government is continuing to invest in supporting the international efforts to combat the ever-growing threat that transnational, serious and organised crime poses to us here in Australia. In the recent budget, the government committed an additional $1 billion to help tackle the risks our community faces from organised crime, criminals and terrorists. This will continue to support the investments our government has made in law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies since first elected in 2013. I'd like to particularly thank, though, the men and women in our law enforcement agencies who work on the frontline each and every day to keep Australians safe.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, a supplementary question?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for her most informative answer. I ask further: as Operation Ironside exposed that a large criminal network exists in Australia which threatens our way of life, has the government provided our law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies with more support since first elected and, if so, to what extent and how?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Abetz for the additional question. Every decision we as a government make in this area of policy is to ensure that we equip our law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies with the necessary tools that they need to keep Australia and Australians safe. Since first elected in 2013, our government has now passed 22 different pieces of national security legislation—legislation that is crucial in helping the relevant agencies investigate, monitor, arrest and prosecute extremists.

Our National Anti-Gangs Squad led to the arrest of 1,330 offenders and the seizure of over 6,000 illicit firearms and firearm parts and over 2.5 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors. That was at December 2020. Operation Ironside has built on this, with 224 alleged offenders charged and over 100 weapons confiscated. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, a final supplementary question?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the minister: how is the government providing the tools our law enforcement agencies need, as shown by the successful Operation Ironside, to identify and disrupt serious crime on the dark web?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): As a government, we are determined to provide our agencies with all reasonable powers necessary to protect the lives of children and to protect the Australian public from criminals acting anonymously online to perpetrate other serious crimes. As technology has changed, so too has the tradecraft of criminals. Our government has introduced a bill to parliament that will provide new powers to law enforcement agencies to shine a light into the darkest recesses of the internet and hold those who are committing serious crimes to account. These key new powers are critical in enabling law enforcement to tackle the fundamental shift in how serious criminality is now occurring online. Without enhancing the powers of the AFP and the ACIC, we leave them with outdated ways of attacking an area of criminality that is only increasing in its prevalence. As a government, we are committed to doing all that we can to tackle this. (Time expired)