Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Bill 2019 and another

The majority voted in favour of the bills' main idea. In other words, they voted to read the bill for a second time so that they can now consider it in greater detail.

What do the bills do?

According to the bills digest:

The Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Bill 2019 (the TEO Bill) will introduce two new orders, each of which could be made by the Minister for Home Affairs:

• a temporary exclusion order (TEO), which may prevent an Australian citizen aged 14 years or older who is overseas from returning to Australia for up to two years at a time and
• a return permit, under which the Minister may impose conditions on the person’s entry into Australia, including conditions with which the person must comply for up to 12 months after re-entering the country.

The orders are intended to enable authorities to plan for and manage the return of Australians of counter-terrorism interest (such as individuals who have fought with or otherwise supported a terrorist organisation overseas) and mitigate risks to the community posed by such individuals. Similar orders exist under United Kingdom law and have been made at least nine times since they were introduced in 2015.