Backbench rebellion on new ASIO law FROM http://smh.com.au/news/0203/13/national/national11.html By Michelle Grattan Serious backbench concerns have delayed introduction of controversial legislation increasing the powers of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Coalition MPs have attacked proposals to hold people incommunicado for 48 hours without legal representation. The backbench attorney general and justice committee met the Attorney-General, Daryl Williams, on Monday. Those worried about the provisions included committee chairman, Christopher Pyne, Senator Marise Payne, Petro Georgiou, Senator George Brandis, Sophie Panopoulos, and Bruce Baird. No agreement was reached. Mr Williams said he would look at the issues further. He will meet the backbenchers again this morning. A radical provision, contained in the terrorism legislation introduced to Parliament last night, that allows the attorney-general to ban an organisation likely to endanger security and make links with it illegal, also came under fire. The backbench critics of the ASIO bill said its provisions were a serious diminution of rights. Mr Williams replied that terrorism raised serious issues which required serious responses. He said what the ASIO legislation was trying to do was to stop mass murderers. But Mr Georgiou said the danger was that innocent people would be dragged in and they would have no legal representation. Senator Brandis said the anti-terrorist measure allowing the banning of organisations reminded him of the unsuccessful attempt to ban the Communist Party in the 1950s. Mr Williams reiterated to reporters that the ASIO legislation would still contain the provision to detain people for 48 hours.
