THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will hear evidence tomorrow from a range of witnesses for its Review of the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2023.

The committee will hear from witnesses including Dr Brendan Walker-Munro, the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, ASIO, the Department of Home Affairs and the Attorney-General’s Department.

“The committee is undertaking a review of the bill on referral from the Attorney-General.” PJCIS Chair Peter Khalil MP said.  

“The Australian Government has been implementing recommendations of the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community (known as the Richardson Review) since its completion in December 2019. This bill would implement a further 10 of those recommendations, across several Commonwealth Acts, related to the Attorney-General’s portfolio. The bill also proposes amendments to the Intelligence Service Act 2001 regarding the number of members and composition of the PJCIS, as well as changes to Ministerial directions issued by the Foreign Minister to the Australian Secret Intelligence Service.

“Careful consideration of the various changes proposed in the bill reflects a central role of the PJCIS, in providing assurance to Parliament that these amendments will be appropriate, proportionate and well considered.” Mr Khalil said.

Further information on the bill review can be obtained from the Committee’s website.           

Public Hearing Details

Tuesday, 11 April 2023
10.45am – 3pm (AEST)
Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the hearing can be found here and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review into the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2023, The bill was referred to the committee by Mark Dreyfus KC, MP, Attorney-General on March 29, 2023.

The Bill proposes amendments to enhance the legislative framework of the National Intelligence Community (NIC) by implementing some of the recommendations (recommendations 18, 19, 66, 136, 145, 167, 186, 188, 191 and 192) of the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community (known as the Richardson Review) within the Attorney-General’s portfolio. It proposes amendments to 13 related Commonwealth Acts to support these proposed enhancements.

The Bill also proposes to amend the Intelligence Services Act 2001 (IS Act) to provide certainty regarding the level of detail required to describe the directed activities in a Ministerial direction to the Australian Secret Intelligence Service under paragraph 6(1)(e) of the IS Act. In addition the bill proposes amendments to the IS Act on the composition and associated quorum requirements of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS).

Peter Khalil MP, Chair of the PJCIS said, “The committee’s (PJCIS) review of this national security Bill is an important Parliamentary oversight of the implementation of the recommendations of the Richardson Review. The PJCIS review process adds an extra layer of assurance that these changes are not only appropriate but will not have unintended impacts.”

The Attorney-General has requested that the committee report by the end of April 2023. Accordingly, submissions to the inquiry are invited by midday on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The committee acknowledges the very tight timeframe requested for submissions and appreciates all efforts to support the committee with its review.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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The proposed provisions to amend the Constitution by referendum have been referred to the newly established Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum for inquiry and review.

The Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 (Bill), introduced to the House by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus MP, would – if passed at a referendum – amend the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia.

It would also establish the Voice, intended to be an enduring institution to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can make representations to the Commonwealth Parliament and the Executive Government on matters that relate to them, improving the development and implementation of laws and policies.

Committee Chair Senator Nita Green said, "The government has now released the legislation which will ultimately be the mechanism to change the Constitution once it has been taken to the Australian public. This is a critical opportunity for the Parliament to examine the legislative provisions and hear from experts to ensure that the bill gives effect to the creation of the Voice.

"The committee is focused on the question of whether the legislative provisions achieve what is intended and give effect to the Government’s stated objectives before it moves to referendum," Senator Green said.

The committee has invited written submissions addressing the provisions of the bill. Submissions to the inquiry must be prepared solely for the inquiry and should not be published prior to being accepted by the committee.

"Prospective submitters should note that the committee does not intend to accept submissions that do not specifically address the provisions of the bill," Senator Green said.

Submissions are requested by COB Friday, April 21, 2023. Further information about making a submission to a committee inquiry can be found at the following link.

The committee intends to hold public hearings. The dates and locations of hearings will be decided shortly and published as soon as possible, a spokesperson said.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the committee’s website.

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THE House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5 as part of its inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.

Chair of the committee, Peta Murphy MP, said, “On Tuesday, we will question Sportsbet, Tabcorp and Entain (operator of brands Ladbrokes and Neds), and the peak industry body Responsible Wagering Australia, about whether industry is doing enough to limit the harm of online gambling in the Australian community.”

“Research released last week by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shows that Australians support greater restrictions on gambling advertising, and that gambling advertising encourages people to gamble and to do so in more risky ways.

“The AFL and NRL are major beneficiaries of sports betting, including through sponsorship and advertising, and receiving a proportion of each bet placed on their games. The Committee is interested in hearing how this aligns with the promotion of their codes as family-friendly and socially responsible organisations.” Ms Murphy said.

Also appearing on April 4 are the Australian Banking Association, the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association, The Lottery Corporation, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

On Wednesday, March 5, the committee will hear from the AIFS about their new research findings.

Programs for the committee’s upcoming hearings are available on the inquiry website here.

The hearings will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 4 April 2023
Time: 8:30am to 4:00pm AEST
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra and via videoconference

Date: Wednesday, 5 April 2023
Time: 2:00pm to 2:50pm AEST
Location: Via videoconference

Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage.

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