5th Jun 2013, 3:38 PM – Representatives Motions - National Security - Suspend standing and sessional orders

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Liberal MP Michael Keenan.

The motion was:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Stirling moving the following motion forthwith:

That the Prime Minister immediately commission a cross government review into the Government’s incompetent handling of the circumstances surrounding the placing of a convicted Egyptian jihadist terrorist in a low security family detention facility in the Adelaide Hills including:(Read Mr Keenan's explanation of the motion and the related debate here. Read more about this incident on ABC News here.)

(1) when was the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the Home Affairs Minister first made aware of the presence of the Egyptian terrorist in the detention network and when did each responsible department or agency brief their Minister and the Prime Minister;

(2) the adequacy of communication arrangements and intelligence sharing between the relevant departments and agencies on matters of national security;

(3) the effects of the Governments budget cuts on our national security agencies ability to detect such cases particularly the $6.9 million cut to ASIO’s budget for security screening of asylum seekers; and

(4) a review of any similar cases including those of a Sri Lankan man accused of murder who was released into the community on a bridging visa and an accused Iranian drug smuggler.

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