Proposed security laws spark backlash
The past and present of Australian national security legislation.
Proposed laws to protect national security have met with public backlash for their radical changes.
The Australian Labor Government asked a Joint Committee to examine a number of telecommunications interception and security intelligence laws to enforce stringent security measures.
In July 2012, the Gillard Government proposed the National Security Inquiry as a solution to mounting fears regarding Australian national security.
Attorney General Nicola Roxan supported the proposal, saying the changes would aid Australia in being equipped against emerging and evolving threats.
Two hundred and nineteen concerned groups and private citizens submitted their response to the committee including the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, The Pirate Party of Australia, and the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties.
Many of these groups believed that the proposed recommendations would constitute a massive invasion of civilian privacy.