Committee establishment, role and history
Establishment in the 39th Parliament
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO (the ASIO Committee) was re-established
in the 39th Parliament on 18 February 1999.
Role of the ASIO Committee
The ASIO Committee is appointed under Part VA of the Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (the ASIO Act).
Section 92C of the ASIO Act describes the functions of the Committee
as being to:
(a) review aspects of the activities of ASIO referred to the Committee
by the Attorney-General, the Senate or the House of Representatives;
and
(b) report its findings to the Attorney-General and, subject to the
Attorney-General's approval, to Parliament.
The ASIO Act limits the inquiry powers of the Committee by providing
that the Committee may not:
- review matters that relate to the obtaining or communicating by ASIO
of foreign intelligence;
- review an aspect of the activities of ASIO that does not affect any
person who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
- review matters that are operationally sensitive; or
- inquire into individual complaints about ASIOs activities.
History of the ASIO Committee
The Parliament first appointed an ASIO Committee on 31 August 1988 (during
the 35th Parliament. The Committee commenced, but did not complete,
an inquiry into the effect on ASIO of the access provisions of the Archives
Act.
The second ASIO Committee was appointed in the 36th Parliament
and completed the inquiry into the operation of the access provisions
of the Archives Act with the tabling of a report (ASIO and the Archives
Act) in April 1992. The Committee also commenced, but did not complete
an inquiry into ASIOs security assessment procedures.
The ASIO Committee was reconstituted in the 37th Parliament
and completed the inquiry into ASIOs security assessment procedures with
the tabling of a report (ASIO and Security Assessment) in March
1994. The Committee also began an inquiry into cost recovery practices
and ASIO. The inquiry lapsed upon the dissolution of the 37th
Parliament.
The ASIO Committee was reconstituted in the 38th Parliament
and resolved to take a new approach to its activities. Instead of conducting
inquiries, the Committee developed further the practice adopted in earlier
Parliaments of seeking regular, informal briefings from the Director-General
of ASIO and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
During the 38th Parliament the Committee received briefings
on various subjects, including:
- security precautions and counter-terrorism arrangements being planned
in preparation for the Sydney 2000 Olympics;
- ASIOs role in monitoring the national security implications of the
crisis in the Persian Gulf;
- corporate restructuring in ASIO;
- ASIOs data collection and retention safeguards, and procedures for
accessing archived ASIO material; and
- proposed amendments to the ASIO Act.
Further information
For further information on the work of the ASIO Committee contact the
Committee Secretariat.
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