Tough new laws to combat terrorism

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that NSW would continue to have the toughest counter-terror laws in the country with the introduction of the Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Police Powers and Parole) Bill into the Parliament today.

Ms Berejiklian said that the legislation would provide certainty for police officers if they need to use force, including lethal force, against terrorists and introduce a presumption against parole for people with links to terrorism.

Where the Police Commissioner declares that a terrorist attack is taking place, these amendments will protect police officers who use these powers in good faith from criminal liability – giving them the certainty they need to use force if required to defend the community and secure the release of hostages.

“Community safety is our highest priority – I want our brave police men and women to be absolutely clear that they have our full support to keep the community safe,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“These tough measures ensure that NSW will continue to have not just the strongest counter-terror laws in Australia, but some of the strongest laws anywhere in the world.”

The legislative amendments also create a presumption against parole for anyone with demonstrated support for, or links to, terrorism. These changes endorse recent NSW Government reforms requiring radicalisation to be considered in parole decisions.

“NSW continues to set the standard on counter-terror laws and we welcome the support of the other Australian jurisdictions adopting our approach as part of a coordinated national response,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We will continue to take the action required to protect the community against the evolving threat of terrorism.”