| Australian spy agency ASIO'S controversial powers to detain and question suspected terrorists will be re-examined by a parliamentary committee. Parliament passed the new counter-terrorism powers in July last year. In the first 12 months, ASIO used them only three times to hold people for questioning, with the longest interrogation taking 42 hours and 36 minutes. The chairman of the parliamentary committee overseeing ASIO, David Jull, says that is no big surprise. "It's not as though it's a continual flow of people being rounded up and questioned," he said. "They can only be brought in for questioning with a warrant and the agencies have to have pretty substantial reasons to be able to detain a person for questioning. "They are very strict powers. The governing of those powers is also very strict." But Mr Jull says it is important to consider if there have been any problems or complaints, and whether the governing legislation could be improved. He says the committee will hold public hearings and will report by the end of next year. |