Summary

Edit

The majority voted in favour of passing the bill in the Senate. Because the bill has already been passed in the House of Representatives, it will now become law.

What does the bill do?

According to the bill homepage, the purpose of the bill is to:

  • enable the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) to undertake activities to produce intelligence where there is, or is likely to be, an imminent risk to the safety of an Australian person;
  • enable ASIS, ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation to produce intelligence on a class of Australian persons who are, or are likely to be, involved with a listed terrorist organisation;
  • enable ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation to undertake activities to produce intelligence on an Australian person, or class of persons, where they are assisting the Australian Defence Force in support of military operations;
  • amend the requirement for ASIS, ASD and AGO to obtain ministerial authorisation to produce intelligence on an Australian person to circumstances where the agencies seek to use covert and intrusive methods which include methods for which the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) would require a warrant to conduct inside Australia;
  • clarify the requirement for ASIS, ASD and AGO to seek ministerial authorisation before requesting a foreign partner agency to produce intelligence on an Australian person;
  • remove the geographic limit requiring that ASIS activities undertaken to support ASIO in the performance of its functions be conducted outside Australia;
  • provide that, for the purposes of carrying out its non-intelligence functions, AGO is not required to seek ministerial approval for cooperation with authorities of other countries;
  • clarify the meaning of authorities of other countries;
  • require the Office of National Intelligence to obtain Director-General approval when undertaking cooperation with public international organisations;
  • extend the period for passport suspension and foreign travel document surrender from 14 to 28 days;
  • extend immunity provided to staff of ASIS and AGO for computer-related acts done outside Australia to acts which inadvertently affected a computer or device located outside Australia;
  • allow ASD to participate in the assumed identities scheme;
  • approve a class of persons to exercise the authority conferred by an ASIO warrant;
  • clarify the permissible scope of classes; and
  • introduce certain record-keeping requirements.

See the bills digest for more detailed information.

Votes Passed by a large majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (89% turnout) 0 Yes 8 No
Dorinda Cox WA No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW No
Sarah Hanson-Young SA No
Nick McKim Tasmania No
Janet Rice Victoria No
Jordon Steele-John WA No
Lidia Thorpe Victoria No
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania No
Larissa Waters Queensland Absent
Australian Labor Party (67% turnout) 16 Yes 0 No
Tim Ayres NSW Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Raff Ciccone Victoria Yes
Patrick Dodson WA Yes
Katy Gallagher ACT Yes
Karen Grogan SA Yes
Kristina Keneally NSW Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Tony Sheldon NSW Yes
Marielle Smith SA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Jess Walsh Victoria Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Don Farrell SA Absent
Nita Green Queensland Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Stirling Griff SA Centre Alliance Absent
Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party Yes
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Yes
Rex Patrick SA Independent Absent
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network Yes
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 1 Yes 0 No
James McGrath Queensland Yes
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (66% turnout) 19 Yes 0 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Yes
Wendy Askew Tasmania Yes
Andrew Bragg NSW Yes
Claire Chandler Tasmania Yes
David Fawcett SA Yes
Sarah Henderson Victoria Yes
Hollie Hughes NSW Yes
Jane Hume Victoria Yes
Andrew McLachlan SA Yes
Greg Mirabella Victoria Yes
Matt O'Sullivan WA Yes
James Paterson Victoria Yes
Marise Payne NSW Yes
Linda Reynolds WA Yes
Anne Ruston SA Yes
Paul Scarr Queensland Yes
Ben Small WA Yes
Dean Smith WA Yes
David Van Victoria Yes
Alex Antic SA Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Richard Colbeck Tasmania Absent
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Jim Molan NSW Absent
Gerard Rennick Queensland Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
Amanda Stoker Queensland Absent
National Party (67% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Perin Davey NSW Yes
Susan McDonald Queensland Yes
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (0% turnout) Absent
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Malcolm Roberts Queensland Absent
Slade Brockman WA President Yes
Totals (67% turnout) 42 Yes – 8 No