Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:49:04 to 2:53:16
The AFP responds to reports of threats against parliamentarians and explains the process for conducting security assessments and providing protection for public community events.
Topics: Public safety, National security
Speakers: Scott Lee, Speaker 1, Unknown Speaker, Krissy Barrett, Senator Fatima Payman, Speaker 27
>> Thank thank you Senator Antic. Um Senator P has one quick question. We we will be wrapping up after that.
due to hold a community stall at a local market. We have had to cancel it because my staff told me they don't feel safe. After the AFP advised us, and I quote,
"An assessment of all available information has been undertaken, and unfortunately at this stage, the AFP won't be in attendance to assist. Can you please tell me how this assessment was made and with what rationale?
>> Thank you, Senator. I will pass to Deputy Commissioner Scott Lee, but can I just say again, I mean, I'm I'm horrified that this is the the type of abuse and threats that u a number of you are receiving and um you know, particularly I've called out in the the opening statement in relation to female parliamentarians in particular. Um, so, so I'm I'm very sorry to hear that you've received, uh, you know, again, s so recently examples of what I've been talking about this week, but I'll pass to Deputy Commissioner Lee.
our democracy and also to your families, um your loved ones and your staff. it the the AFP obviously undertakes a range of assessments based on threat risk and vulnerability and in terms of your particular matter. I'll just focus my question on that if I can just in the interest of time but certainly I I am aware of your matter. I certainly spoke to our assistant commissioner who is responsible in western command uh who to seek a meeting to discuss that assessment and the rationale behind that assessment. Certainly what I would ask um Senator is certainly that's it's a the nature of that assessment, the information behind that assessment and provided by the AFP simply because it goes to the operational methodology around our protection. We're certainly happy to talk to you and your staff around that in in the meetings we do and certainly our spittle teams do that regularly with federal parliamentarians. Uh but I know our team is certainly looking to talk to your office and your staff as a matter of priority on that
>> Thank you chair. >> Thank you Senator Payman. Uh thank you to each of you for the very quick whipound of questions from senators. I do thank senators for their assistance at the back end of the program. Thank you for the work that you do uh and all the work that you've done particularly this week uh in uh you know keeping us safe in doing our jobs. Uh so thank you very much. I will uh join with your comments about Senator Duniam uh about uh his final estimates with us. >> I'm sure uh he'll be thinking of us when we are back in the [laughter] new year. >> Uh but thank you very much uh for all of your time and all of your work. Uh thank you to the secretariat and to Hansard for all the things that you do to make the last two days uh smooth. Senator Paul's indicating she wants
commissioner to thank him. he's been
>> here thank you very much we now journed