Summary

Edit

The majority disagreed that law enforcement agencies should have to get a judicial warrant before accessing telecommunications data about a communication (rather than its actual content). This data includes data on who is sending and receiving a particular communication, the date and time it was sent and how long a communication lasted.

This requirement for a warrant was proposed by Senator Natasha Stott Despoja (see her explanation of this amendment).

Background to the bill

The bill introduces a second group of recommendations made by the Review of the Regulation of Access to Communications (known as the Blunn Report). In particular, the bill transfers key security and law enforcement provisions from the Telecommunications Act 1997 to the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979.

These provisions relate to access to telecommunications data, which is information about a communication rather than its content and includes data on the sending and receiving parties, and the date, time and duration of the communication. The bill also proposes a new two-tier access regime for access to historic and ‘prospective’ telecommunications data (read more about the bill in its bills digest.)

Votes Not passed by a large majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Democrats (100% turnout) 4 Yes 0 No
Lyn Allison Victoria Yes
Andrew Bartlett Queensland Yes
Andrew Murray WA Yes
Natasha Stott Despoja SA Yes
Australian Greens (75% turnout) 3 Yes 0 No
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Kerry Nettle NSW Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Bob Brown Tasmania Absent
Australian Labor Party (74% turnout) 0 Yes 20 No
Mark Bishop WA No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
George Campbell NSW No
Kim Carr Victoria No
Trish Crossin NT No
Chris Evans WA No
John Faulkner NSW No
Annette Hurley SA No
Linda Kirk SA No
Joe Ludwig Queensland No
Gavin Marshall Victoria No
Anne McEwen SA No
Jan McLucas Queensland No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Robert Ray Victoria No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Ruth Webber WA No
Penny Wong SA No
Dana Wortley SA No
Stephen Conroy Victoria Absent
Michael Forshaw NSW Absent
Steve Hutchins NSW Absent
Kate Lundy ACT Absent
Kerry O'Brien Tasmania Absent
Nick Sherry Tasmania Absent
Ursula Stephens NSW Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
John Hogg Queensland Deputy President No
Steve Fielding Victoria Family First Party No
Liberal Party (69% turnout) 0 Yes 22 No
Judith Adams WA No
Guy Barnett Tasmania No
Cory Bernardi SA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Sue Boyce Queensland No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Grant Chapman SA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Alan Eggleston WA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Mary Fisher SA No
Gary Humphries ACT No
David Johnston WA No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Brett Mason Queensland No
Stephen Parry Tasmania No
Kay Patterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Michael Ronaldson Victoria No
Russell Trood Queensland No
John Watson Tasmania No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Helen Coonan NSW Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Chris Ellison WA Absent
Bill Heffernan NSW Absent
Rod Kemp Victoria Absent
Ross Lightfoot WA Absent
Nick Minchin SA Absent
Judith Troeth Victoria Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 5 No
Ron Boswell Queensland No
Barnaby Joyce Queensland No
Sandy Macdonald NSW No
Julian McGauran Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Alan Ferguson SA President No
Totals (76% turnout) 7 Yes – 51 No