Canberra, Oct 29 (IANS): The upper house of Australian parliament has approved radical changes to the country's security laws to stop Australians fighting in overseas conflicts.
The Senate Wednesday approved the controversial Foreign Fighters Bill, which allows overseas conflict zones to be declared "no-go" zones for Australian citizens, Xinhua reported. It also regards "advocating terrorism" as an offence.
The changes in security laws will now make it easier for the authorities to cancel passports and prohibit travel to terrorist "hot spots" such as Syria and Iraq without a valid excuse.
Visiting a no-go zone designated by the foreign minister will be punishable by 10 years in jail.
Labour moved a last-minute amendment to try to clarify the new travel restrictions, but Attorney General George Brandis argued against it.
"If this provision were to be passed, it would defeat the entire purpose," he said.
The counter-terrorism bill was passed in the Senate with bipartisan support -- 43 votes to 12 -- after the government agreed to multiple amendments recommended by a bipartisan joint parliamentary committee. The bill now heads to the government-dominated House of Representatives for approval.
The government is also planning to present a separate bill to parliament that could allow spy agencies to provide the military with information about the whereabouts of Australian jihadis fighting in Iraq and Syria.
It originally planned to make the change through an amendment to the Foreign Fighters Bill, but now intends to introduce the change through separate legislation.
The government's plan, a document which has been witnessed by several media outlets, would allow Australian spies to pass on specific information to the defence force.
The draft document states the information could be used to "support" military operations that have a "direct effect" on Australians.
The government is playing down suggestions the new provisions would allow the military to target -- and kill -- Australian jihadis engaged in fighting.
"It's not a question of targeting Australians, it's a question of being able to collect intelligence upon their activities," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday. "We need to know as much as we can about their activities because they are taking part in activities that are crimes in Australia."
About 70 Australians are believed to be fighting alongside the Sunni radical group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The Foreign Fighters Bill is part of the second phase of the government's crackdown on home-grown terrorists and terrorism. The first phase of the national security crackdown is already law, including tough restrictions on media reporting of special intelligence operations.