Goverment pushes to keep terrorists behind bars

Proposed laws would allow authorities to keep all convicted terrorists behind bars after their sentence is complete, if they pose a safety risk.

Attorney-General Christian Porter wants some criminals with links to terrorism to be jailed indefinitely. Source: AAP

The Morrison government is introducing laws to close a loophole preventing some convicted terrorists being dealt continuing detention orders, which keep offenders behind bars if they pose a safety risk.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter. Source: AAP

"Prison is where those individuals belong and this bill will ensure that is where they will stay," Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Thursday.

The laws, which were first floated in 2016, also include a presumption against bail and parole for terrorists and their supporters.

The federal and state governments recommended the reforms after a 2017 siege in Melbourne, in which Yacqub Khayre shot a receptionist dead and wounded three police officers.

Khayre was out on bail and had previously been charged with a terror offence.

"The community was rightly outraged by Yacqub Khayre's case," Mr Porter said.

"The changes we are introducing today strike the right balance between protecting individual rights and freedoms, and protecting the community."