A DISTINGUISHED security expert says extraordinary new powers for our domestic spy agency go too far and have the potential to rob Australians of the very freedoms that terrorists are railing against.

The Senate passed a suite of anti-terror laws last week that give the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) unprecedented power to monitor the entire Australian web essentially with only one warrant. The reforms also contained tough penalties for journalists and whistleblowers, who could be jailed for up to 10 years for “recklessly” disclosing information related to a “special intelligence operation”.

RELATED: Spy laws passed in Senate: ASIO given new powers

RELATED: #HeyASIO: Twitter hits back at new terror laws in Australia

Murdoch University professor of international relations and security studies Samuel Makinda said enhanced security should not come at the expense of our civil liberties.

“What I see is we have a group of politicians who are willing to legislate away the rights of Australians … When I look at this, I feel we have been let down by our politicians,” Prof Makinda told news.com.au.

“We need security, but that security is embedded in the democratic values of society and our human rights. If we compromise on those, then we are actually undermining our own security.

“(Terrorist group) IS hate the way we live and politicians are whittling away those rights that make people jealous of us.

“If the laws that we had stayed as they were, Australia would not be disadvantaged in any way in our war against terrorism.

“This needs to be debated, but that debate is not there. The politicians appear to have taken advantage of what’s happening in the Middle East to rush this through.”

Prof Makinda, who established the university’s Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism studies program, said ASIO already had “enormous powers to detect, to foil and to disrupt terrorist organisations before they materialise”, as exemplified by the unprecedented terror raids of September 18 in Brisbane and Sydney.

He said some powers ASIO was seeking, such as the ability to access metadata, were necessary, but said he was “uncomfortable” about the agency having power to investigate an unlimited number of computers with one warrant, and weaken the efforts of journalists and whistleblowers.

Attorney-General George Brandis said the laws were not targeted at the press, and said the strong new powers were balanced by strong safeguards.

“What we have achieved tonight is to ensure that those who protect us, particularly in a newly dangerous age, have the strong powers and capabilities they need,” Mr Brandis told the Senate on Thursday night.

Prof Makinda’s criticisms echo concerns raised by lawyers, politicians and other experts about the laws’ overreach.

Greens senator Scott Ludlam said the bill threatened the work of journalists, without making Australia any safer.

“In the middle of a very serious security situation, they can actually provide a false sense of security,” Senator Ludlam told news.com.au.

He said the reforms compromised journalists’ ability to report on security agencies and give a voice to whistleblowers, something all Australians should be concerned about.

“We all have a stake in a healthy democracy,” he said.

Australian Greens list unprecedented security and surveillance powers being passed in Oz pic.twitter.com/R9mBfeksIm @caparsons @OpenMedia_ca — Adam Molnar (@admmo) September 25, 2014

Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson agreed that the laws are likely to restrict the legitimate scrutiny of Australia’s security agencies, Fairfax Media reports.

“The law is too broad (and) there is the potential for botched operations to go unreported when ASIO really needs to be held accountable,” he said.

However, he said he was comfortable with ASIO’s theoretical ability to monitor an unlimited number of computers with one warrant.

Journalists’ union the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has also slammed the laws as “an outrageous attack on press freedom”.

Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon said the laws would have a “chilling effect” on investigative journalism and free speech.

“We have a right to know if our intelligence agencies are misusing their powers or acting inappropriately, and journalists play a vital role in publicising that information,” Senator Xenophon said.

The anti-terror bill will now be sent back to the House of Representatives for the requisite rubber stamp.

The Attorney-General’s Department declined to respond to questions from news.com.au.