Spy law changes ‘don’t do enough’

Changes to proposed laws to limit foreign interference do not go far enough to protect journalists, broadcasters have said.

Bridget Fair, the chief executive of trade group Free TV said that while the amendments were an improvement they could still expose journalists who were working in the public interest.

Changes to proposed laws to limit foreign interference do not go far enough to address concerns that journalists could be jailed for doing their jobs, broadcasters have said.

Bridget Fair, the chief executive of trade group Free TV, which represents seven of Australia’s commercial television networks, said that while the amendments were an improvement they could still expose journalists who were working in the public interest.

“We are still considering the recommendations in detail but we welcome the improvements that have been made to the scope of the offence for journalists and editorial support staff involved in the preparation of news and the reduction in penalties for secrecy offences affecting journalists,” Ms Fair said.

“While we are disappointed that the committee has not recommended an exemption for journalists engaged in public-interest reporting rather than a defence, we do recognise that significant effort has gone into this process in good faith from both the government and opposition with the intention to strike the right balance between freedom of speech and national security.”

Ms Fair, who speaks on behalf of the Seven, Nine, and Ten networks as well as regional broadcasters WIN Corp, Prime Media Group, Southern Cross Austereo and Imparja Television, said the amendments at least removed provisions that risked sweeping journalists into its net through broad definitions.

“While we might disagree where that balance should lie, there is no doubt that the provisions affecting news organisations are much improved on the original draft of the bill,” she added.

A 400-page report from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security was released yesterday endorsing new spy laws to counter increasing foreign interference and espionage targeting Australia, predominantly from China.

The report produced 60 recommendations, several of which referred to provisions that would criminalise journalism in relation to the handling of secret or sensitive material.

The government, which now expects the legislation to be passed into law later this month, refused to accept a good faith clause for espionage being pushed by Labor.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the amendments proposed by the committee went “a long way” to addressing the criticism of the original bill made by media organisations, which were concerned that ordinary journalism could be criminalised.