Australia announces new counter-terror measures to combat Isis
The Abbott government will unveil new counter-terrorism legislation following a series of allegedly foiled attacks in Melbourne in the past months, the federal attorney-general has announced.
George Brandis made the announcement on the second day of a summit on challenging terrorist propaganda in Sydney, which he said would focus on strategies to fight Islamic State’s “electronic army”.
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He did not divulge details of the new legislation, saying only it would “take into account lessons learned from recent legislative amendments and counter-terrorism operations”, but they are understood to include changes to the control order regime.
Control orders allow police to restrict a person’s movements, activities and associations without requiring a criminal conviction. Two were issued in the first decade after the powers were granted to police, and another two were placed on individuals in December last year.
The past six months have seen 23 people charged following eight counter-terrorism operations, including alleged plots in Melbourne to coincide with Mother’s Day and Anzac Day.
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