Storm brews over surveillance powers

CANBERRA, Australia, June 20 (UPI) -- A measure under consideration in Parliament could give Australia's overseas intelligence agencies the right to spy on citizens at home for the first time.

Until now, Australia's intelligence agencies, including the Defense Signals Directorate, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Defense Imagery and Geospatial Organization, were allowed to monitor Australian citizens only overseas and only if they received authorization from the foreign minister or the defense minister.

The office of Defense Minister Robert Hill said the proposed measure "does not provide agencies with new powers in relation to producing intelligence on Australians." Rather, it entrenches existing practices.

However, Labor defense spokesman Robert McClelland said provisions in the new bill could give the overseas agencies new powers to monitor Australians in Australia, with the authorization of the relevant minister, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, can monitor Australian citizens at home but is subject to strict regulations, which do not apply to the foreign services, the newspaper said.