Mr ALBANESE (8:44 PM) —I rise to speak in support of the amendments which have been carried by the Senate, and which have returned here and now have the support of both the government and the opposition. I want to take this opportunity to make a contribution to the debate because I was denied that when the bills were first introduced. These bills were rushed through this House in a manner that was entirely inappropri ate. What we have seen in the Senate and what we are seeing tonight in the House of Representatives is the Australian parliament at its best.

There is no doubt that the most significant event in any of our lifetimes was September 11 last year. It has changed the way that we see ourselves, the way that we see our nations and the way that we see the international community. There is no doubt that we have to respond to this calamity but it is important that we acknowledge that the war on terrorism will not be won militarily. I could not have supported the original bills which were brought before this House. The war on terrorism can only be won ideologically.

As we are seeing today in the Middle East, whether it be terror of individuals or terror by the state, terrorism cannot be stopped by security legislation. You have to win hearts and minds. In winning the war on terrorism, we need to ensure that we differentiate ourselves from those authoritarian societies, ideologies and individuals that would seek to break down and attack our democratic freedoms. In doing that it is critical that we support civil liberties and that we understand that to have a free society, a democratic society, means that we must uphold the rule of law and the rights of individuals to participate fully and freely in that society—there must be a presumption of innocence.

I congratulate the shadow minister for home affairs, Senator Faulkner, and the shadow minister for justice and customs, the member for Banks—my friends and colleagues—who have worked so hard to ensure that we have a result that is good for Australia but that also avoids the divisive wedge-politics game which the government was trying to play with its original legislation—just like it did with the asylum seekers. The amendments will ensure that legitimate protest and industrial action, legitimate full participation in our society, cannot be outlawed. The public review that will occur in three years time is a guarantee that there will be a full opportunity for public comment and that any concerns that people have with the operation in practice of this legislation can be addressed.

I particularly want to point out the issue of the proscription of organisations because that was a clause in the original Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002 [No. 2] that was simply unacceptable if left to the Attorney-General of the day. Labor's amendments ensure that any basis of proscription of an organisation as a terrorist organisation will be on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions. September 11 was a disaster and it is certainly the case that one cannot really see anything positive coming out of it. But, if one thing positive can come out of it, it is the recognition that we all cannot live in isolation—that the international community must act as one in a cooperative way. (Time expired)