Legislation to broaden definition of terrorist act

Legislation to broaden definition of terrorist act
The Senate will sit today to pass legislation the Federal Government says could help authorities deal with a specific threat of terrorism.

The Government says the new laws are urgently needed because of a specific and credible threat.

The Government says the new laws broadening the definition of a terrorist act are urgently needed because of a specific and credible threat of terrorism in the last few days.

It says the legislation will broaden the definition of a terrorist act, enabling people who are plotting an attack to be prosecuted.

But Democrats Leader Senator Lyn Allison and the Greens Senator Bob Brown are among those who are suspicious saying it is a bid to deflect attention from the Government’s industrial relations (IR) legislation.

"This has all the hallmarks of John Howard manipulating the Parliament to his own political ends," Senator Brown said.

Labor’s Arch Bevis says it is a convenient coincidence, but he is not too worried.

"If it is some ploy or smokescreen that will come out in the wash," he said.

Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says the idea of a conspiracy is fanciful.

"Any idea that this was some form of conspiracy to divert peoples attention from other political issues which is being offered as a view by some is just I think very far fetched," he said.

He says the Government learnt of a specific threat of terrorism in the last day or two and acted on it immediately.

"We were convinced on the independent advice received from competent authorities," Mr Ruddock said.

He appears hopeful that the broader counter-terrorism legislation could also enter the Parliament today with the support of a number of state premiers.

Terrorism analyst Clive Williams, from the Australian National University, has told Channel Nine he has information that at this stage the activity is in the early planning stages and involves two people in Sydney talking to others in Melbourne about potential targets.

"One of the persons apparently was identified by an American informant as having attended a LET- a Lashka e Toiba camp in Pakistan and they’ve been talking to others in Melbourne apparently about what sort of targets they could attack," he said.

"So it’s very early stages and that’s why the Government wants to change the law in the way it does."