Anti-terror laws worry Albanese
The next tranche of anti-terror laws face a rockier passage after senior Opposition frontbencher Anthony Albanese expressed discomfort at Labor's acquiescence.
The first anti-terror laws breezed though Federal Parliament this month after Labor and Palmer United Party sided with the coalition.
But in a sign that bipartisanship on national security will not stop debate, Mr Albanese indicated yesterday that it might have been a mistake not to subject the laws to greater scrutiny.
"You can be fully supportive of our engagement in the Middle East and still say we don't protect freedom by giving it up and I don't believe there's been enough scrutiny," Mr Albanese told Sky News.
"I believe our security agencies do a great job for this nation, including ASIO, but it's also the case that in a democratic country like ours where we are talking about fighting for freedom that we ensure that that freedom is, indeed, protected and not given up." Among the new laws, journalists face 10 years jail if they report on so-called "special intelligence operations" by ASIO.
It will be a criminal offence to report on SIOs even in instances where they go badly wrong, such as when a suspect is killed.
Mr Albanese said he was speaking for himself on press freedom when asked if Labor leader Bill Shorten shared his concerns.
The only Labor MP to speak out against the Bill last month was Fremantle MP Melissa Parke.
The second tranche of counter-terrorism laws, to be debated in a fortnight, would give the Government greater power to prosecute people who go overseas to fight as foreign fighters.
The Foreign Fighters Bill also proposes expanding the power to ban organisations, including those that prejudice Australia's "international relations".
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said yesterday activities of radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir might be "captured" under the new laws.
"I'm a great supporter of free speech," she said. "But there are limitations on free speech."
