Canberra : The Australian Parliament Tuesday passed the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill that addresses “urgent operational needs identified by Australia’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies”, the attorney-general’s office said.
The measures in the bill would assist these agencies disrupt domestic terrorist threats and support the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the Middle East, Xinhua reported.
“They are part of the government’s comprehensive legislative reform agenda to address the threat posed by Australians participating in, and supporting, foreign conflicts or undertaking training with extremist groups,” the statement said.
The bill would allow the Australian Federal Police to take timely action against those suspected of funding, enabling or supporting persons who are suspected of terrorist activity and fighting with terrorist organisations in foreign conflicts.
The bill would also enhance the ability of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) to provide timely support to the Australian Defence Force during military operations.
According to official data, there are about 60 to 70 Australian nationals who are fighting with IS and other terrorist organisations in the Middle East, considered to be a major security concern of the Australian government.