There are calls for the Tasmanian government to rip out security cameras in parliamentary offices and surrounds after the federal government was urged to remove cameras built by companies linked to the Chinese government.
Key points:
- An audit uncovered more than 900 units of Chinese government-linked equipment in Commonwealth government buildings
- The Defence Minister said if any of the equipment was found in his department, it would be ripped out
- The Tasmanian Greens leader says the state government must follow the national lead
The federal government plans to remove cameras and security gear made by Hikvision and Dahua after they were banned in the United States and the United Kingdom amid fears they may contain spyware.
It is feared data collected by the cameras may end up going to China, a claim the two companies say is not possible.
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said she had been raising concerns about Hikvision surveillance systems in Tasmania’s parliament since 2020.
“There is a network of Hikvision cameras in the Tasmanian Parliament,” she said.
“They are on the lawns of the Parliament, they on the outside of the building, they are inside the open spaces in the Parliament, they’re in government and MPs’ offices.
“They tried to put two in our offices and we had them removed.”
But she said her concerns about the cameras have fallen on deaf ears.
“It’s very frustrating to have raised this matter with Parliament’s presiding officers two and a half years ago,” she said.
“We were effectively dismissed and there was an increased rollout of Hikvision cameras.
“Now it is clear that what we were saying at the time is true; there are legitimate security questions.”
An audit has uncovered more than 900 units of Chinese government-linked equipment within Commonwealth government buildings.
Federal opposition cyber security spokesman James Paterson said the federal government needed a plan to remove them.
Canberra’s War Memorial and National Disability Insurance Agency have promised to remove cameras found at their sites.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said if any of the equipment was found in his department, it would be ripped out.
Ms O’Connor said the Tasmanian government must follow the national lead.
“We’re glad this is a matter that’s now achieved national attention.”
Ms O’Connor said Hikvision cameras are not only a security concern, “they’re an instrument of oppression used by the Chinese government against Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers.
“This Chinese spyware must also be removed from the home of our democracy.”
The Tasmanian Parliament’s presiding officers said in a statement that parliament does not comment on security matters.
“Parliament takes and follows all appropriate advice regarding its security arrangements,” President Craig Farrell and Speaker Mark Shelton said.
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