In a rare public appearance, Australia’s overseas spy agency has asked for more powers to use weapons and “reasonable” force.

Parliament’s Joint Intelligence Committee investigated the powers being proposed under the Intelligence Services Amendment Bill, introduced late last week.

The new laws would only apply to spies serving overseas in the Australian Secret Intelligence Service.

The bill would extend their powers to use weapons or self-defence techniques to protect people other than themselves or another agent.

ASIS

It would also make it legal for them to “use reasonable and necessary force” in their jobs.

The Director-General of ASIS Paul Symon told the committee it would be particularly useful in hostage situations.

“There have been occasions where government has looked to ASIS in a deniable way to effect [a hostage] handover,” he told the committee in a rare public appearance.

“So, the sort of scenario I can see here is where, in looking after the hostage, there may be a circumstance where we might need to hold them on the shoulders and throw them into a car.”

Australian Parliament

ASIS spies have to choose between the use of no force or potentially lethally force to protect themselves, Mr Symon said.

“It's not in our interests to apply any more force than would be necessary to achieve the outcome.”

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All of the powers being proposed need the approval of the Foreign Minister.

He told the committee ASIS is a mid-level asset in the Five Eyes community, and the agency wasn’t seeking to have the more extensive powers of the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency.