Labor allow encryption laws to pass in “embarrassing” win for the Coalition

A bill designed to give intelligence agencies more powers to monitor secret conversations will become law tonight.

Labor has agreed to pass the government’s encryption legislation without amendments, meaning the changes will be locked-in before Christmas.

A game of political chicken in the Senate threatened to delay the laws until next year.

Macquarie Radio political reporter Roshai Murdoch tells Ross Greenwood “it is a small win for the Coalition, but in a slightly embarrassing way”.

“Opposition leader Bill Shorten, he’s come out and he’s kind of painting this picture that he’s facilitating these laws going through, which he is.”

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National Cyber Security Adviser and Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre Alastair MacGibbon tells Ross it’s “not about breaking encryption”.

“It’s not about lessening the security for everyday Australians whatsoever.

“This is about affecting the privacy of criminals and removing their right to the protections that the rest of us deserve.”

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