Disputed bill passed amid heightened terror concerns
Print Edition
Australia’s upper house passed a controversial law yesterday requiring telecommunication firms to retain customers’ digital data for two years as part of a range of counter-terrorism measures, despite fears of abuse.
The law was passed with the support of the Labor opposition, and received 43 votes in favour with 16 votes against. It was passed by the lower House of Representatives last week.
The Liberal-National coalition government said the legislation was a central tool for law enforcement and intelligence agencies in their fight against terrorism.
“By passing this bill, the parliament has ensured that our security and law enforcement agencies will continue to have access to the information they need to do their jobs,” Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a joint statement.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott did not say yesterday how much it would cost to implement the law but added his conservative government would make “an appropriate upfront contribution to the cost” to the telecommunications industry.
The data retention legislation has been slammed by privacy advocates, who say Australians would be vulnerable to the misuse of their personal or private information by the nation’s security agencies.
The opposition Greens party, which voted against the bill in the Senate, described the law as “a form of mass surveillance.”
“Surveillance should be targeted, proportionate and levelled at serious criminals, organized crime and national security threats. This bill entrenches the opposite,” Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said in a statement after the bill was passed.
Canberra raised its threat level in September and has since carried out a series of raids amid alarm over the departure of some 90 of its nationals to fight with jihadist groups.
In December, Man Haron Monis took 17 people hostage at Sydney cafe. Two hostages were killed in the hours-long siege,
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