Stalling tactics delay foreign fighters bill
Labor will seek to amend the foreign fighters bill in the Senate today to reflect a parliamentary committee’s recommendations.
Labor will attempt to move amendments to the government’s foreign fighters bill in the Senate today in a move that threatens to delay its passage through the parliament.
A spokesman for Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman, Kristina Keneally, said Labor would try to move amendments to the bill that the government argues is necessary to block the entry of returning jihadis who have fought for Islamic State, al-Qa’ida and other terror groups in the Middle East.
Labor’s amendments would bring the bill into line with all 18 recommendations made by the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, with the government deciding not to embrace two of the committee’s proposed changes.
If Labor’s amendments were supported by the Greens as well as four out of the six crossbenchers, the amended bill would pass the Senate and return to the House of Representatives, where the government commands a majority.
The Coalition passed its unamended bill through the lower house last night, with the shake-up aimed at allowing the government to issue temporary exclusion orders that will prevent someone from entering the country for up to two years.
Despite voicing concerns with the legislation, Labor supported the government’s bill after its amendments were rejected.
A spokesman for the Greens yesterday said the party would support Labor’s amendments in the Senate.
“We will support any amendments that will make the bill less bad, but oppose the bill as a whole,” the spokesman said.
Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick said he would also consider the amendments.
A spokesman for One Nation said Labor had not approached the party with its proposals, while independent senator Cory Bernardi said he would back the government’s bill in full.
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie declined to comment last night.
The PJCIS recommendations not being adopted by the government would impose a restriction that would prevent the minister from making a temporary exclusion order unless the government reasonably suspected an individual was involved in terrorism-related activities outside Australia.
The committee also recommended a temporary exclusion order could be made only if it would substantially assist in preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act. The government chose not to incorporate this in its bill.
Labor’s caucus yesterday agreed to back the government’s bill if its amendments failed.
Senator Keneally stared down a complaint in the caucus meeting from Labor senator Kim Carr, who questioned why Labor would support a bill that was flawed and potentially unconstitutional.
Senator Keneally told Senator Carr the powers would prevent dangerous people from coming to Australia.
Labor also asked the government to refer the bill for another examination from the PJCIS — a push that was rejected by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus yesterday attacked the government for not supporting Labor’s amendments in the lower house.
US ‘on track’ to sell Virginia-class subs to Australia
US Congressman and leading AUKUS supporter Joe Courtney, has played down the prospect of the US backtracking from its commitment to sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines.
‘Speak as many, not as one’: Indigenous leaders distance themselves from Thorpe’s tirade
Indigenous community leaders say Senator Lidia Thorpe’s outburst in Parliament House was done 'her way' but that Aboriginals had a 'right to be negotiated with', as they discussed meeting King Charles.