Sydney - Australia's newly re-elected conservative government said on Tuesday it would likely use its control of the upper house of parliament to renew its campaign to toughen counter-terrorism legislation.
Among the measures it wants to pass is legislation to allow surveillance of emails and text messages. It also wants to protect sensitive national security information in terrorist court cases.
A spokesperson for Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said opposition parties used their upper house majority to refer the legislation to a Senate committee, effectively stalling it until it lapsed when national elections were called six weeks ago.
The government significantly toughened its anti-terrorism laws over the past three years, but was prevented by opposition parties from going as far as it wanted.
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| 'It also wants to protect sensitive national security information' |
However, in its weekend election victory the government won 38 of the 76 Senate seats and could yet win a 39th, giving it outright control of the chamber.
Vote counting was continuing on Tuesday, but even if the government fails to capture a 39th seat it has high hopes of securing the support of a sympathetic minor party senator to push through its more controversial legislation.
Ruddock, who has been attorney-general for only a year, appears likely to retain the portfolio in Howard's post-election ministerial reshuffle.
His office said that if he remained in the job he would move to produce the bills fairly quickly, and that even if he lost the portfolio his successor would be expected to do likewise.
"They are ready to get to work we would like them to be in place sooner rather than later," the spokesperson said.
Ruddock was also expected to use the government's strengthened upper house position to pass uniform national defamation laws, which have previously been opposed by Labour-controlled state governments. - Sapa-AFP
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