FED: Govt looking at revamp of national security laws

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2009
FED: Govt looking at revamp of national security laws

By Sandra O'Malley

CANBERRA, Aug 11 AAP - The federal government will look at revamping Australia's counter-terrorism
laws to make the nation better able to handle "increasingly complex" security threats.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Tuesday flagged that the government would release a discussion
paper shortly on amendments to national security and counter-terrorism laws.

"The discussion paper will help to establish an effective legal framework which is
fundamental to our ability to manage and respond to the challenges we now confront in
our increasingly complex security environment," he told parliament.

On Saturday, Attorney-General Robert McClelland indicated the discussion paper would
look at whether there needed to be changes to the way the government listed terrorist
organisations.

Mr Rudd said the government needed to be on the front foot when it came to terrorism
- it wasn't enough to prosecute offenders, it was necessary to stop attacks in the first
place.

"The government is committed to ensuring the focus of Australia's national security
and counter-terrorism laws remains on preventing a terrorist attack from occurring in
the first place," he said.

"This is a difficult challenge - we cannot adopt a position which involves us simply
waiting to punish those who commit terrorist attacks and related crimes after they occur."

Last week, authorities allegedly foiled a plot to attack a Sydney military base.

The government has also signalled a strategy to engage individuals and communities
to stop them joining terrorist organisations in the first place.

"These measures are designed to deepen our engagement with at risk communities, to
support them in resisting extremism," Mr Rudd said.

He said it was critical prevention strategy.

Mr Rudd reiterated the government would release a national security White Paper later this year.

AAP so/sb/cdh

KEYWORD: TERROR RUDD

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