Australia's top spy and police chiefs have defended the need to protect officers involved in special operations while denying journalists will be unfairly treated by new national security laws.
Addressing a public hearing into recent changes to the ASIO Act, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's director-general Duncan Lewis insisted the safety of his people was paramount.
The acting independent national security legislation monitor Roger Gyles QC is looking into section 35P, which makes it an offence for any person to disclose information about special intelligence operations conducted by ASIO.
"My officers need protection if they are in turn to protect our community," Mr Lewis told a hearing of the inquiry in Canberra on Tuesday.
Australia was not insulated from events overseas, he said, spelling out the terror threat.
"The events we've seen carried out in Australia and in other countries such as France and Denmark have become in many ways the new norm."
When asked by Mr Gyles how someone would know if they had stumbled across a special operation, Mr Lewis said journalists were able to contact the ASIO's media department.
If the issue had national security sensitivities, the journalist could be called by the director-general himself and offered a confidential briefing.
Mr Lewis said reporters who think there had been a miscarriage of justice still had other avenues, including taking their inquiries to the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security.
His reading of the act was that if there wasn't an intention to disclose special operations the journalist would "have no case to answer".
Acting Federal Police Commissioner Michael Phelan said the same principles applied to his organisation, arguing he couldn't recall an incident where a journalist defied suggestions not to publish.
Maybe they were too frightened, Mr Gyles said.
"I haven't met many journalists who are too frightened to publish," Mr Phelan said, noting the vast majority approach police first.
Despite previous evidence given by media organisations critical of the changes, representatives from the Attorney-General's Department insisted they were not designed to criminalise reporting.
Following an outcry over the laws, which could result in journalists being imprisoned for up to 10 years, Attorney-General George Brandis issued a direction that no prosecution could proceed without his consent.
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