Senator ELLISON (Minister for Justice and Customs) (11:52 AM) —In relation to the question of training, I can advise that a new training package for all officers is being prepared. It will ensure that the legislation is clearly understood. Officers will be made aware of their obligations and responsibilities to comply with the legislative requirements. Officers are already trained in arrest, search and seizure procedures. As the powers contained in this bill are complementary to existing skill competencies, the training package is expected to be delivered over a period of three hours.

Training delivery will be by a combination of CD-ROM information packages, face-to-face presentations at stations and the completion of workbooks by all members for organisational accountability. Scenario based examples will also be included in the packages. Station managers and supervisors will receive additional training relating to their responsibility regarding seizure and handover to law enforcement organisations, and mentoring of officers completing their individual training packages. I can certainly assure the committee that appropriate training is being undertaken by the APS and the AFP in relation to these new powers and, of course, that is only to be expected.

Opposition amendment (1) purports to insert a reasonable excuse of participating in an industrial dispute, in a genuine demonstration of protest or in an organised assembly. The government will not be supporting that amendment, on the basis that a person who could potentially be a threat could well choose such lawful gatherings as a cover for illegal activities. Officers must be able to, at the very least, ask a person for their name and evidence of their identity in order to proactively assess whether any potential security threat exists.

One can only imagine a situation where there is a protest—a legal and genuine one—at, say, an airport, and there are people involved with that who do not have altruistic motives but, in fact, pose a security threat. This amendment would make it difficult for our officers to carry out their duties; to single such people out for questioning, search or detention. It is on that basis that we believe, for operational reasons and reasons of efficacy, that the government cannot support this amendment. I can understand the opposition's reasons for it, but the government is not persuaded that it would be appropriate in the circumstances.