COMMITTEES
Senator CICCONE (Victoria) (17:51): I present the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security's review of the listing of Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code. I seek leave to move a motion in relation to the report. I move: That the Senate take note of the documents.
Organisations can be listed under the Criminal Code if a minister is satisfied an organisation is directly or indirectly engaged in terrorism or advocates the doing of such terrorist acts. On 27 June this year, the Minister for Home Affairs announced that the Albanese government had listed Terrorgram, also known as the Terrorgram Collective, as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code.
The committee's review examined the minister's decision to list this organisation. As we know, the Criminal Code provides that the committee may review an organisation's listing as a terrorist organisation and report its comments and recommendations to each house of the parliament at any time. In assessing Terrorgram's listing, the committee reviewed the merits of the listing with regard to the Minister for Home Affairs's explanatory memorandum, statement and statement of reasons for the listing; and other publicly available information.
The committee also received a private briefing on the organisation from the Department of Home Affairs. It is clear that Terrorgram is a nationalist and racist violent extremist organisation comprising a group of persons who use a network of online channels based primarily on the online messaging application Telegram. Operating through encrypted platforms like Telegram, Terrorgram spreads violent and extremist propaganda designed to inspire terrorist attacks on minority groups, critical infrastructure and specific individuals opposed to its ideology.
The organisation advocates for, and provides instructions on how to conduct, terrorist attacks and has successfully inspired a number of terrorist attacks in the United States, Europe and Asia. The decentralised and encrypted online environment of Terrorgram allows the organisation to operate internationally with very few barriers. A key concern is Terrorgram's frequent promotion and praise of the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack and perpetrator, which it uses as a propaganda tool to radicalise potential members, advocate for terrorist attacks and actions and spread its violent extremist ideology.
The nature of this organisation is unconventional for a terrorist organisation, as it is a decentralised, non-hierarchical network that operates primarily in online spaces. However, the committee supports the Australian government's assessment that Terrorgram is a distinct organisation with identifiable members and leadership figures. Based on the evidence available to it, the committee agrees with the Australian government's assessment that the organisation known as Terrorgram advocates the doing of a terrorist act.
The committee is satisfied that the appropriate processes have been followed and the listing has been properly made. Therefore, the committee supports the listing of Terrorgram under division 102 of the Criminal Code and finds no reason to disallow the regulations. This reflects the parliament's commitment to keeping Australians safe from violent extremism, protecting our interests and safeguarding the values that we all share in our democratic society.
Debate adjourned.