Security Services

The majority voted in favour of an amendment to a motion, which means the motion was amended in the manner set out below.

Original motion text

That the Senate notes—

(a) the need for the executive to respect and protect the non-political role of the security services;

(b) the need to keep confidential information secure;

(c) the importance of the principle that intelligence material should not be used for partisan purposes;

(d) the offences for communicating intelligence information under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, including penalties; and

(e) the recommendations of the Hope Royal Commissions on Intelligence and Security, in particular, relating to the relationship between the security services and executive government and the responsibility of the Government to protect and adhere to the above principles.

Amendment text

At the end of paragraph (e), add—

", and further affirms that enhanced scrutiny of the security services as proposed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Amendment Bill 2015, and extending to appropriate oversight of agency operations, would increase confidence that the security services strictly adhere to their non-political role and that intelligence material will not be used for partisan purposes."