Australia to get spooks charter at cost of at least AU$188m

Australia's Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has recommended that the nation adopt a telecommunications metadata retention regime. The Committee's report report (PDF) does recommend changes to the current Bill, including the proposed dataset being enshrined in legislation and therefore subject …

[GrumpyOldBloke]

Australia's opposition doesn't oppose national security measures in order to avoid being made to look disinterested in the nation's defence.

No, Australia's opposition doesn't oppose national security measures because influential foreign governments have as much dirt on them as they do on the neo-nuts. No one has forgotten the lessons of the Whitlam government. Combine this obscene legislation with the data sharing legislation passed during the Rudd era all tied up with with warrantless access and we have high treason out of Canberra, again. Have to wonder if ASIO/AFP haven't completely lost the plot as they appear to be a far greater threat to Australia than the cartoon villains the US keeps creating. This trove of data will expose friend and foe alike.

[Big-nosed Pengie]

Australia has an opposition now?

Thank the gods. What are they called?

[Thorne]

"Australia has an opposition now?

Thank the gods. What are they called?"

Humphrey B Bear.

The wonderful thing about a two party preferential system when both sides support something is that your screwed no matter who you vote for.......

[Adam 1]

Absolutely shocking legislation, with exclusions big enough to drive a bus through and absolutely laughable 'protections'.

The GDR would be proud.

[Someone Else]

No requirement to obtain a warrant is evident in the report, other than the current regulations that insist law enforcement agencies must feel they are pursuing serious crimes before asking to see metadata. [Emphasis added]

I feel like I'm pursuing a serious crime just reading about this!

[JamesTQuirk]

This is why they sold off the PMG, so lots of little holes to plugged with public money, into their friends pockets, so to get back the DATA they would have access too in first place, A IP is no different to a Phone Number, and should be so, if somebody got up to no good on a phone, it would be traced ...

If they could have kept it that simple, we wouldn't be dealing with this crap, except there's money to be paid out this way ..

"Australia has an opposition now?"

Yes, Australian people do, it's called the Government, it pretends too be different political sides & holds elections, but it just re-engineers the Australia Economy for whom-ever the lastest Government thinks is their business buddies , Hold's million dollar Lunches & Openings, facilities for foreign investment, while telling Australian public to "tighten your belt" & any whom complain, prepare to be spied on ...