Mrs DE-ANNE KELLY (2:26 PM) —My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on recent developments in the government's measures to further safeguard Australian aviation?

Mr Sidebottom —I notice the Prime Minister had airport security at Burnie on the weekend.

The SPEAKER —The member for Braddon!

Mr Sidebottom —What's happened to ours?

The SPEAKER —The member for Braddon is warned!

Mr ANDERSON (Minister for Transport and Regional Services) —I thank the honourable member for Dawson for her question. We are all well aware—all too well aware—of the risks posed to aviation security by terrorist activity in both our region and more broadly across the globe. We tightened aviation security very significantly and very, very quickly after 11 September 2001 and the events of that date. We have introduced significant new measures since then, and they include tighter airport access control, enhanced passenger and baggage screening, the placing of air marshals on domestic flights, an increased Australian Protective Service presence at airports and working with the industry to introduce 100 per cent international check baggage screening by the end of December 2004, a year ahead of ICAO deadlines. We have also moved to introduce a domestic check bag screening capability by the same date. There are also proposals now being implemented for more stringent background checking for holders of aviation security identification cards—ASIC cards as they are known—including the introduction of politically motivated violence checks. The ASIC scheme is also being extended to cover all airports where passenger screening is mandated.

Despite these and other significant measures that have been introduced, I want to stress—and I think this is reassuring for the public; they would expect it and I want to reassure them that we do this—that we are constantly examining, re-examining and reviewing the adequacy of the system we have in place to ensure that it is as effective as it can possibly be. Naturally, this is judged by reference to the best and the most recent intelligence that we can obtain from our security agencies. As part of the continuous review process, as the PM has indicated today, the government has asked the Secretaries Committee on National Security—or SCONS as it is known—to undertake an assessment of our aviation security sys-tem. That assessment will form the basis for advice to the National Security Committee of Cabinet. SCONS will draw on intelligence, border control, transport, policing and technology expertise from across the Commonwealth as part of its assessment process. Amongst other things, that committee will examine the latest intelligence and what its implications are, how immigration and border control and airport security arrangements contribute to an effective system, which of our existing arrangements we might need to change or augment or make less predictable to meet the emerging threats, what new technologies—and they are rapidly emerging and evolving—might be appropriate for us to consider and whether we need to expand our existing system, and if so how. I do want to stress that this is an absolutely high priority for the government. The work will proceed promptly and we will respond as quickly as possible and take whatever action is deemed necessary to ensure that our aviation security arrangements are as tight and as effective as we can humanly make them.