Surveillance Devices Emergency Warrants

The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: My question without notice is addressed to the Attorney General. Does the Attorney General recall his comments on the Opposition's amendment to clause 33 (1) and (2) of the Surveillance Devices Bill 2007 to reduce the bill's proposed duration of five business days for emergency warrants to two business days, where he claimed:

Exactly the same circumstances as apply to emergency provisions under the current law will operate under the new law. To that extent there is no change.

Did the Attorney General mislead the House, given he failed to mention that, unlike clause 33 of the bill, the Listening Devices Act emergency provisions in section 5 do not authorise police to use a surveillance device to do acts that they could be authorised to do by a surveillance device warrant, such as the entry, by force if necessary, onto or into a person's premises or vehicle?

The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS: No.