Push for powers to stamp out recruiting

COUNTER- terrorism agencies may be given new powers to stop potential jihadis earlier as the Federal Government faces pressure from within to toughen up laws aimed at preventing attacks in Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is being urged by his backbench, including former PM Tony Abbott, to give security agencies greater powers after another mass killing by Islamic State- inspired terrorists in London.

The Prime Minister joined his British counterpart, Theresa May, in claiming there was too much tolerance of extremist material on social media.

He has flagged leading a global crackdown on IT companies – including Google, Facebook and Twitter – used by terrorists to radicalise vulnerable young people.

MP Jason Wood, a former member of the Victoria Police Counter- terrorism Unit, urged the Government to fast- track new laws for family violencestyle intervention orders to force would- be jihadis into deradicalisation programs and ban them from the internet.

The Victorian Government is believed to be considering the proposal to allow police to apply for Community Protection Intervention Orders for anyone deemed to be radicalised, even if they are not planning terror attacks or seeking to fight overseas.

Mr Wood said the Federal Government needed to lead to ensure all state governments adopted the measures.

“The police need a tool to stop young people from being radicalised, from potentially going on the internet every night and talking to others from overseas and reading material which may influence them,” he said.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s counter- terrorism policy centre head Jacinta Carroll said community protection intervention orders would be a useful tool. When disaster struck, locals stepped up. Celebrate the heroes who fought back when Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie and its aftermath smashed two states. ‘ Defying Debbie’ tells their stories of triumph and hope in a special commemorative publication on sale now.