Federal ministers should undergo background security checks to head off the risk of treason or espionage, a minor party says.
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Centre Alliance's Rex Patrick believes most Australians would be shocked to know ministers with access to sensitive security, commercial and diplomatic information don't have security clearances.
"Parliamentarians and ministers are not immune from weaknesses and temptation that in rare, but significant cases, may lead to involvement in espionage and treason," he told parliament on Monday.
Under Senator Patrick's private bill, the prime minister would order the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to provide a report on current and future government ministers.
ASIO would not vet ministerial appointments, with the prime minister getting the final say on whether or not to act on its intelligence advice.
Liberal senator James Paterson said the coalition government did not support the idea because ministers were subject to public scrutiny as elected officials.
"The government already has extensive vetting processes in place for ministerial staff and public servants which Senator Patrick proposes be effectively extended to also include ministers," he said.
Senator Patrick noted that former Labor frontbencher Sam Dastyari and opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon had had ties to Chinese political donors.
Labor frontbencher Don Farrell lashed out at Senator Patrick's "cowardly" attack on Mr Fitzgibbon and said his party would not support the bill.
"If you're going to make these allegations at least do them outside of parliament where people can at least have the opportunity to defend themselves," Senator Farrell said.
The bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee, which is due to report in November, but it has no chance of passing parliament because the major parties oppose it.
Australian Associated Press
