Media Releases ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
Today the Government will introduce into the House of Representatives an urgent amendment to Australia’s counter-terrorism legislation and seek the passage of the amendment through all stages tonight. The President of the Senate will recall the Senate for 2pm tomorrow. It is the Government’s wish that the amendment be law as soon as possible. The Government has received specific intelligence and police information this week which gives cause for serious concern about a potential terrorist threat. The detail of this intelligence has been provided to the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Homeland Security. The Government is satisfied on the advice provided to it that the immediate passage of this bill would strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to this threat. The Government is acting against the background of the assessment of intelligence agencies that a terrorist attack in Australia is feasible and could well occur. In ASIO’s recently released annual report a warning is contained that specifically cites the threat of home-grown terrorism. ASIO also warned that attacks without warning are feasible. I raised this matter in some detail with all of the State Premiers late yesterday and have received their unanimous agreement to the immediate introduction and passage of this amendment if the Government judged, on continuing advice, that it was necessary. The substance of these amendments is currently part of the draft Anti-Terrorism Bill which has been circulated to the States and is being presented as a stand-alone bill. The effect of the amendment is to give relevant agencies a greater capacity to respond promptly whenever threats arise. The Government would like all elements of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, when introduced, to become law before Christmas. However, for the reasons I have outlined, these specific elements have taken on a greater degree of urgency and on that basis the Government intends to secure their passage immediately. * Details of the provisions are attached. 2 November 2005 Details of amendments Schedule 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Bill amends the terrorism offences in Divisions 101 and 102 of the Criminal Code, and adds a further ground for listing terrorist organisations in regulations. Items 2 to 5 clarify that, in a prosecution for a terrorism offence, it is not necessary to identify a particular terrorist act. The existing offences contain a subsection that provides that a person commits the offence even if ‘the’ terrorist act does not occur. When the offences were originally drafted, it was not the intention that the prosecution would be required to identify a ‘particular’ terrorist act. The amendments will clarify that it is not necessary for the prosecution to identify a specific terrorist act. It will be sufficient for the prosecution to prove that the particular conduct was related to ‘a’ terrorist act. Similarly, item 10 clarifies that, when determining whether an organisation satisfies the definition of a terrorist organisation, it is not necessary to prove the organisation is preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering ‘the’ particular terrorist act. It will be sufficient if the prosecution can show the organisation is preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering ‘a’ terrorist act. Other amendments in Schedule 1 are consequential on these more substantial amendments. 02 November 2005
New terror amendments are to be rushed through Australian Federal Parliament based on new threats recently revealed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).  The government claimed in a media release today that it has this week received specific information about a terrorist threat to Australia.

"The Government has received specific intelligence and police information this week which gives cause for serious concern about a potential terrorist threat. The detail of this intelligence has been provided to the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Homeland Security," the release said. 

The government claims that the new bill is intended to improve the ability of intelligence services and the police to counter this threat. 

"The Government is satisfied on the advice provided to it that the immediate passage of this bill would strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to this threat," the release said. 

The opposition leader, Kim Beazley, has been briefed by the Prime Minister on the nature of the threat, and has pledged that Labor will support the amendments. 

The amendments are separate to the proposed anti-terror legislation.

Some commentators noted that the nation's security alert level had not been escalated as a result of the new information and remained at "medium" and a subsequent interview with the Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock on Lateline appeared to indicate that there was in fact no information about a specific imminent threat.

Greens' Senator Bob Brown noted that there are already laws that could deal with a specific imminent threat: "Whoever these unnamed people are, they can be arrested, they can be interrogated for up to seven days, they can be charged under the current crimes act." he said.

The government has a track record of presenting misleading information to the public for political ends as in the infamous children overboard affair when refugees where vilified by ministers of the Australian government, including the Prime Minister, on the basis of false evidence.