30th Mar 2006, 12:18 PM – Senate Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2006 — In Committee — B—party interceptions

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Labor Senator Joe Ludwig, which means that they were rejected. The amendments related to B-party interceptions so that they "have protections consistent with the Blunn review-that is, that they go to ensuring that they only be utilised in limited and controlled circumstances".(Read Senator Ludwig's full explanation of his amendments and the associated debate here, after 11:48 am. )

B-party interceptions are interceptions of communications made by a third party, that is, by a person who is not suspected of involvement in a prescribed crime but whose communications may be relevant to an investigation. That B-party may only be a conduit for the relevant communication and may not be aware of the use being made of them by the person of interest.(Read more about B-party interceptions in the bills digest. )

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced to implement some of the recommendations of the Review of the Regulation of Access to Communications (known as the Blunn Report) in order to, among other things, create a warrant regime to allow access to stored communications held by a telecommunications carrier and enable the interception of communications of a person known to communicate with the person of interest.(Read more about the bill in its bills digest.)