Counter-terrorism laws in Australia that allow authorities to impose control orders on suspected extremists are set to expire on December 7 unless the federal government takes urgent action, raising concerns about national security preparedness. Control orders grant the Australian Federal Police (AFP) powers to restrict a person’s movements, associations, and activities, including conditions such as curfews, travel bans, and electronic monitoring.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor criticized the government, accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of neglecting national security by prioritizing controversial tax reforms slated to begin in a year while seemingly overlooking the imminent expiration of these counter-terrorism laws. Taylor emphasized the importance of maintaining these powers to manage serious security threats and questioned what alternative tools would be available after December if the laws were allowed to lapse. "No prime minister should ever let Australia’s counter-terror laws run down to the wire," he said. He also called for strengthening the legal framework governing terrorism prevention instead of allowing it to lapse.

The counter-terrorism control order regime, introduced in 2005 following the London bombings, has been extended five times since its inception, most recently in 2023 when the terrorism threat level was assessed as "possible." Australia currently maintains a "probable" terrorism threat level, though the nation’s intelligence chief has indicated this assessment does not capture the full extent of the risk. The expiry of these laws coincides with renewed security concerns, including the recent return of two groups of ISIS-affiliated women to Australia and reports that al-Qaeda has been urging followers in Western democracies to carry out attacks similar to the 2019 Bondi stabbing.

An Attorney-General’s office spokesperson said the government is reviewing the control order powers, working with law enforcement agencies to ensure the laws remain effective in addressing evolving terrorism threats. The spokesperson stressed the government’s commitment to protecting Australians and affirmed that control orders continue to be a key component of the Commonwealth’s national security framework.

Parliament will recess for five weeks starting Thursday, with eight sitting weeks scheduled for the latter half of the year, adding urgency to the government’s review process. As debate continues, security experts and political figures highlight the potential risks posed by a lapse in these powers amid a complex and fluid terrorist threat landscape.