A BILL that extends police powers to eavesdrop on private conversations and emails has been referred for review following intervention by Democrat and Green senators.
The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill, described by federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland as "time-critical" and containing only minor "technical changes", will be examined by a Senate committee.
"The bill seeks to expand the covert intelligence-gathering powers of ASIO and the Federal Police by allowing monitoring of multiple communications devices," a spokesman for Democrat Senator Natasha Stott Despoja said.
"The Rudd Government was less than forthright about this, attaching these amendments to an extension of sunset provisions, and saying there were no new powers for security or law enforcement agencies. "But both the Law Council and Electronic Frontiers Australia have expressed concern that it amounts to an incremental expansion in telecommunication interception powers."
Ms Stott Despoja said last week she would oppose the bill in the Senate, after it had passed through the House of Representatives without comment. The Government then agreed to refer the bill for further consideration.
Ms Stott Despoja's spokesman said Labor had slammed the former Howard government over the original legislation in 2006, and had demanded dozens of amendments that were rejected. "The ALP said at the time that a 'lazy attorney-general' had 'not struck the balance', and as a result privacy was not sufficiently protected," the spokesman said.
"Yet the first act of the new Attorney-General is to revisit the bill, without considering whether the privacy of innocent third parties will be breached."
AAP March 25, 2008
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