Encryption laws: Government won't accept Labor amendments, says Dutton

Peter Dutton has indicated the federal government will not accept all of the Labor opposition's proposed changes to its new encryption laws.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Source: AAP

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has confirmed the government will not accept all of Labor's amendments to its encryption bill.

The opposition agreed last week to pass the national security laws before parliament rose for the year, on the condition all of its proposed changes would be adopted early next year.

Peter Dutton won't back down on the encryption bill. Source: AAP

But Mr Dutton said the government would only accept amendments consistent with the recommendations of the parliament's joint intelligence committee, which has investigated the bill.

"Labor can try and water it down through whatever means they like - (shadow attorney-general) Mark Dreyfus tried all sorts of games to prevent it from coming on in the parliament - and ultimately Labor got caught out," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"This is a very important bill, a very important law. I hope that Labor can get over their attempts to block it."

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. Source: AAP

The bill is designed to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies easier access to encrypted communications used by terrorists and criminals on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.