Mr KERR (1:19 PM) —The objective of the Law Enforcement Committee Bill 1999 is to establish a single parliamentary joint committee on Commonwealth law enforcement. Currently, the parliament has one joint committee on the National Crime Authority and one joint committee on the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. This bill proposes the establishment of a single committee to exercise scrutiny across the whole ambit of Commonwealth law enforcement, including the Australian Federal Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Australian Customs Service, the National Crime Authority, the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and other Commonwealth agen cies having a law enforcement function which exist or may be established.

Serious threats to Australian society now, and increasingly so in the future, include more than threats to our national security from other nation states. They include threats to the stability of our society and its institutions from those who pursue criminal objectives for profit. People smuggling, prostitution, the international drug trade and the illegal use of the intellectual property of others—such as pirate copies of music and film—are becoming the work of increasingly sophisticated and well-organised networks. These networks use our financial system to launder their illegal profits. They are hijacking the means of our economic growth—increased international trade, faster transport and rapid improvement in technology—to serve their purposes and increase their international presence. They profit at the expense of others—at the expense of vulnerable Australians or by duping other nationals with the false promise of a legal passage to our shores.

To respond, Australia needs to more than match the substantial efforts of these organisations. To be effective in combating crime, Australia must have a sophisticated, cooperative, integrated, national and international approach. To be effective, law enforcement needs to know today what will happen tomorrow. This sophisticated, cooperative, integrated, national and international approach needs to be mirrored in our parliamentary process. Currently, it is not. What passes for debate on law and order is often short term, knee jerk, populist and uninformed. The previous Labor government made some progress to address a deficiency in this area. The Office of Strategic Crime Assessment was intended to provide an `over the horizon' annual report on crime threat assessment, but the demise of public annual strategic reporting from OSCA limited that initiative. The proposed parliamentary joint committee will be tasked to oversight all law enforcement agencies. It will inform the national parliament and build an extensive store of knowledge. It will play a vital role in the development of integrated tactical and planning strategies and processes.

I do not want this bill to become just an excuse for another political contest. On issues to protect all Australians from the scourge of organised crime, there ought to be no room for claims for greater patriotism or resort to cheap politics. The parliament and the government must develop a model which allows for national oversight, a model which enables and provides the basis for good strategic planning. We must develop a mechanism to regularly receive and assess `over the horizon' crime threat intelligence to inform the process of decision making, and we need parliamentary scrutiny of all law enforcement agencies, not just the National Crime Authority. When we deal with defence issues we recognise the importance of long-term strategic planning. It is perverse that the parliament has no parliamentary process to oversight law enforcement when it has so many parliamentary committees tasked with significant national responsibilities.

I believe that there is also a shared view of the magnitude and changing nature of the threat to our society from crime. Labor envisages that this committee will demonstrate that the national parliament accepts its responsibility to play a lead and effective role in the fight against crime. A single committee with a good understanding of the totality of our law enforcement needs will ensure that no political party is caught up in just short-term political debate about where funding ought to be directed. It will also strengthen the oversight role of the parliament and help guard against improper use of power by any Commonwealth law enforcement agency. Parliamentarians from all political persuasions know their work on such committees confirms that the things that bind us together are much bigger than our differences. I commend the bill to the House.

Bill read a first time.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl) —In accordance with standing order 104A, the second reading will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.