The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security today presented its Advisory Report on the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 3) Bill 2023.
The Bill implements twelve recommendations of the 2020 Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community conducted by Mr Dennis Richardson AC (Comprehensive Review). The Bill also makes important amendments to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 to assist Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officers to perform their vital functions safely and effectively.
The measures contained within the Bill will support Australia’s national security agencies by strengthening identity protections for their employees, increasing operational flexibility and information sharing, clarifying some authorities and approvals processes to provide greater certainty, and supporting quicker processing of security clearance suitability assessments. The Committee supported these measures and recommended that the Bill be passed, subject to several recommendations.
The Committee’s recommendations included that the Government:
- provide further clarification on the use of cover employment arrangements;
- strengthen notification to individuals who are subject to ASIO security assessments, including as part of security clearance processes, about their right to make complaints; and
- enhance transparency about delayed security assessments by including them in ASIO’s annual report.
The Committee also recommended the Government consider the need to align amendments to secrecy offences in the Bill with the findings, once published, of the review of secrecy offences legislation being conducted by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, Mr Jake Blight.
Committee Chair Mr Peter Khalil MP said, “With the passage of this Bill, the Government is delivering on its commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Comprehensive Review to ensure that our national security legislation remains fit-for-purpose.”
“Modernisation of our security legislation enables our intelligence agencies to conduct their vital work effectively while also ensuring that appropriate oversight and safeguards are in place”, said Mr Khalil.
The Committee received both public and classified evidence related to the proposed amendments in the Bill and is grateful to those submitters for contributing their expertise to the inquiry.
Further information on the inquiry as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website.
Media inquiries
Chair Mr Peter Khalil MP, via Lachlan Hinds
0455 999 677
lachlan.t.hinds@aph.gov.au
For background information
Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
(02) 6277 2360
pjcis@aph.gov.au
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.
