Qld: Democrats sceptical on email, text message intercepts

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2004
Qld: Democrats sceptical on email, text message intercepts

BRISBANE, April 11 AAP - The Australian Democrats remained sceptical about giving police
and spy agencies the power to intercept and read emails and telephone text messages, party
leader Andrew Bartlett said today.

The proposed new laws, expected to be voted on next month, give the police, intelligence
and security agencies the power to intercept and read the messages.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said the changes were needed because interception of
emails and text messages was not covered by present legislation.

The Sunday Age reported today that the government had secured the in-principle support
of Labor and the Democrats by promising to increase safeguards and clarify when warrants
would be needed.

Senator Bartlett today said the Democrats had not done a deal with the government over
the legislation.

He said he was concerned that the legislation, which returns to the Lower House after
being pushed through the Senate, sought to further restrict the freedoms people had.

"There is still inadequacy in the way that the (present) phone tapping powers are being
used and the Democrats have helped draw attention to some of those failures," Senator
Bartlett told reporters in Brisbane.

"Giving agencies more powers when there is plenty of evidence they are not using the
ones they've got properly has caused me great concern."

He said the Democrats always considered proposed legislation on its merits.

"But we are sceptical about extra police powers when there is evidence their existing
powers are not being used properly," Senator Bartlett said.

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KEYWORD: INTERCEPT

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