Amy Remeikis reports in the Brisbane Times (12.7.16) on new Queensland laws, endorsed by the Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, which extend police powers to deal with potential terrorist threats.
‘Queensland’s hung parliament has finally found something it can agree on – expanding police and government powers in the event of a suspected or imminent terrorist attack.
‘The counter-terrorism and other legislation amendment bill, introduced by Police Minister Bill Byrne in April, amends 2015 legislation in the wake of recent international terrorist attacks.
‘It strengthens police powers, allowing officers to force people or organisations to provide information under specific declared emergency circumstances, with refusal to provide the information or providing misleading or false information bringing with it up to a decade in prison.’