MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
CLARE O'NEIL MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR JUSTICE
MEMBER FOR HOTHAM
STRONGER POWERS FOR POLICE AT AIRPORTS
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security have today handed down a bipartisan report recommending the passage of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Police Powers at Airports) Bill.
A number of recommendations have been made to improve the bill and make it stronger and more effective. Those recommendations, if implemented, would also make it clear that the new powers cannot be used to interfere with the right to peaceful assembly
If legislation is presented by the government reflecting these bipartisan recommendations, and passed by the Parliament, the rules governing the powers of police at airports around Australia will be unified for the first time and strengthened.
Police constables and Protective Service Officers will have the power to direct a person to move on from airport premises or to prevent a person from taking a specified flight where that person is reasonably suspected to have committed, is committing or intending to commit an offence punishable by 12 months imprisonment or more or if it is necessary to safeguard aviation security. It also expands the existing power that constables have to direct a person to produce evidence of their identity in specified circumstances.
Labor is grateful to the AFP for the important role it plays keeping Australians safe.
Instead of supporting our dedicated AFP officers to perform their critically important work, the Liberals have chosen to cut AFP funding and slash staff.
In the last Budget, the Liberals cut $205 million from the AFP over the forward estimates a cut Peter Dutton presided over as Minister for Home Affairs. As a result, the AFP Commissioner last year confirmed that staffing at the AFP was predicted to fall from 6448 personnel in 2018-19 to 5881 personnel in 2021-22 an extraordinary reduction of 567 AFP personnel.
Labor is absolutely dedicated to giving enforcement and security agencies the powers they need to keep Australians safe.
Labor has always taken a bipartisan approach to national security matters, and will continue to do so even as the government continually tries to trash that approach. We have helped to make more than 500 amendments to national security bills since 2013 every one of those has made our laws stronger and more effective.
Today's report shows the bipartisan process of the PJCIS remain intact Labor will do all it can to uphold its vital role while the government descends into hysterical attacks.
WEDNESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2019
