Zali Steggall MP speak against ASIO overreach

Описание: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. We must oppose the overreach of power, especially when applied to children who are at least able to protect themselves. A fair society does not normalise secret coercive questioning of children. National security security should never come at the cost of our fundamental values. Australia can be safe while also upholding human rights and the rule of law. Parliament has a duty to stay vigilant. Democratic accountability is important. I am speaking on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill number two 2025, and I want to say at the outset, I hold a deep respect for the work of our intelligence agencies. But I also have a responsibility to scrutinise legislation, especially legislation that seeks to make permanent some of the most intrusive powers ever granted to a Commonwealth agency. Espionage, foreign interference, sabotage and politically motivated violence are real threats. We know this. ASIO plays a vital role in keeping Australians safe amidst complex multi threats to national security and to our security here we know following the Bondi terrorism attack that the accountability of our agencies is incredibly important to ensure Australians are safe and that's why in that very context, that parliamentary oversight is so incredibly important when we are looking and talking about such over such broad reaching powers that this bill seeks to make permanent. So this bill seeks to make three significant changes. It removes the sunset clause on asio's compulsory questioning powers, making them permanent. It expands the scope of those powers and most concerning, it allows powers to apply to minors as young as 14. Despite ASIO previously stating it does not need those powers in relation to children. Compulsory questioning powers were introduced in 2003. Post nine over 11 as extraordinary and temporary measures. Over the past 20 years they have been extended repeatedly. This bill seeks to make these changes permanent and mean that we will not, on a regular basis in this place, make sure that there is an overreach of power and give us and have the parliamentary oversight that is so important now each time this law has been extended, civil liberties group and the Law Council of Australia have raised concerns rather than addressing those concerns. This bill goes in the opposite direction. It expands the powers and makes them permanent. I have fundamental issue with that and every member in this place should also have an issue with that. A sunset clauses are crucial democratic safeguards. They force the parliament to look at the evidence and to consider if laws remain fair and necessary, removing them strips parliament of oversight and undermines accountability. And for the government to be taking this step, there should be much more scrutiny on why the government is taking this step at this time. Grounds for compulsory questioning are expanded in this bill. It now includes sabotage, promotion of communal violence, attacks on, on our defence system and threats to border integrity. ASIO is on the record stating it does not need it, does not need powers in relation to border integrity, but they have been included in this bill regardless. Under this legislation, the scope of adult questioning warrants essentially covers Asio's entire security remit, a drift far from the original purpose of the legislation. Post nine over 11, where I remind you, it was meant to be interim exceptional measures being introduced. So, the government is now taking a step to make these permanent and it's no longer looking at it from an exceptional point of view, but a permanent situation. So it means these powers may be applied in situations that do not present immediate or grave risks to the communities. So, the very premise on which these powers were first introduced is not at all the basis in which they are argued to continue. And my biggest concern in this relation to this legislation is this bill fails to protect minors, children as young as 14 can be compelled to answer questions under threat of criminal penalty, removing the sunset clause prevents parliament from revisiting whether that is appropriate is that commensurate and proportional to threat embedding a process where minors may be forced to participate in secret questioning? The think of that we are saying as a nation we are okay for 14 -year-olds to be secretly questioned by ASIO. That is the standard the government is asking us to accept. Australia is a signatory of the UN convention of the rights of the child, which requires that children's best interest be a primary consideration and they be protected from coercive measures. How is that being given effect in this legislation? I ask that of members of government supporting this legislation permanently enacting powers that compel children to be interrogated is not consistent with those obligations under the UN convention of the rights of the child...