Government and opposition locked in battle over laws to allow security and intelligence agencies access to encrypted telecommunications
Amy Remeikis
The powerful parliamentary security and intelligence committee was working towards a compromise position on the government’s controversial encryption legislation before Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton “blew the process up”, Penny Wong said.
The government and opposition are locked in an increasingly nasty battle over the proposed laws, which would allow security and intelligence agencies access to encrypted telecommunications through enforced “back doors”.
But the legislation, which the government has vowed to pass this week, has been criticised by stakeholders as being too broad and potentially placing at risk Australia’s national security.
Wong, speaking to the ABC, said the prime minister was “seeking to create a fight to distract attention from things like Julia Banks moving to the crossbench”.
Labor dissent on encryption bill a rare break in security bipartisanship
“The bill, as it is currently drafted, will make Australia less safe,” Wong said.
The bipartisan security committee, which is examining the legislation, has found itself caught in the middle, and for the first time in a decade, will not agree on a position when its report on the legislation is handed down next week.
Labor committee MPs have already telegraphed they will be handing down a dissenting report after the committee was unable to find an agreeable position, after a compromise position of passing interim laws giving security agencies the powers they want, while the rest of the bill was examined, was rejected by the government.
The government has used Labor’s reticence to accuse the opposition of being soft on terrorism. In the weeks leading up to the split, Dutton had put increasing pressure to speed up the committee deliberations, so the government could pass the bill as soon as possible.
Amy Remeikis
The powerful parliamentary security and intelligence committee was working towards a compromise position on the government’s controversial encryption legislation before Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton “blew the process up”, Penny Wong said.
The government and opposition are locked in an increasingly nasty battle over the proposed laws, which would allow security and intelligence agencies access to encrypted telecommunications through enforced “back doors”.
But the legislation, which the government has vowed to pass this week, has been criticised by stakeholders as being too broad and potentially placing at risk Australia’s national security.
Wong, speaking to the ABC, said the prime minister was “seeking to create a fight to distract attention from things like Julia Banks moving to the crossbench”.
Labor dissent on encryption bill a rare break in security bipartisanship
“The bill, as it is currently drafted, will make Australia less safe,” Wong said.
- “Let me read one small part of a transcript from a company which is responsible for encryption, not only of some of Australia’s defence agencies and the AFP, but the US military.
- “And it says about the bill, ‘it compromises the security of citizens, businesses and governments. It will be easier for cyber criminals, terrorists, to target systems and to be able to break into those systems.’ So this is evidence from this company.
- “We have said we are willing to pass a bill by Thursday, which gives appropriate powers, these powers, to national security agencies with appropriate oversight to target criminals and people who are being investigated for child sex crimes.
- “Scott Morrison doesn’t want that. He wants a fight, and I think compromising Australia’s national security for those reasons is really beneath the prime minister.”
The bipartisan security committee, which is examining the legislation, has found itself caught in the middle, and for the first time in a decade, will not agree on a position when its report on the legislation is handed down next week.
Labor committee MPs have already telegraphed they will be handing down a dissenting report after the committee was unable to find an agreeable position, after a compromise position of passing interim laws giving security agencies the powers they want, while the rest of the bill was examined, was rejected by the government.
The government has used Labor’s reticence to accuse the opposition of being soft on terrorism. In the weeks leading up to the split, Dutton had put increasing pressure to speed up the committee deliberations, so the government could pass the bill as soon as possible.
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