Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2018

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the main idea of the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a second time.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bills digest, the bill was introduced to:

• Extend provisions relating to control orders, preventative detention orders and the declared area offence, and terrorism-related stop, search and seizure powers, currently due to sunset on 7 September 2018, for a further three years
• Extend provisions relating to questioning warrants and questioning and detention warrants, also currently due to sunset on 7 September 2018, for a further 12 months and
• Implement the Government’s response to certain recommendations made by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) in their most recent reviews of those provisions by:

• increasing the minimum period between an interim control order being made and the date set for a confirmation hearing from 72 hours to seven days
• allowing interim control orders to be varied
• clarifying the status of the original request for an interim control order in confirmation hearings
• providing that the issuing court must not make an order for costs against the person in relation to whom a control order is sought or has been made (subject to a limited exception)
• requiring the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to notify the PJCIS in writing of the making of an initial preventative detention order as soon as reasonably practicable
• amending the exception to the declared areas offence to include performing an official duty for the International Committee of the Red Cross
• enabling the Minister for Foreign Affairs to revoke a declaration of an area, and the PJCIS to review a declaration of an area, at any time
• requiring the AFP Commissioner to report to the relevant Minister, the INSLM and the PJCIS as soon as practicable after any exercise of the stop, search and seizure powers and
• requiring the Minister to report annually to Parliament on the use of the stop, search and seizure powers.