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Convicted terrorists to get indefinite detention in Australia

Xinhua, December 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australia's state and territory leaders have agreed with a proposal for indefinite detention of convicted terrorists, a similar measure used for convicted paedophiles unless they can prove they have reformed.

New South Wales state currently houses nine convicted terrorists in prison while Victoria state has four, both of which have post-sentence schemes for high-risk sex and violent offenders, though not for terrorism related offences.

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed the scheme to the nation's state and territory leaders at the Council of Australian Government's (COAG) meeting in Sydney on Friday, with the government's sights set on those who aren't duel nationals and can't be stripped of Australian citizenship.

The leaders also backed a similar measure used in New South Wales state to implement laws that allow for longer pre-charge detention for terror suspects, allowing authorities to undertake the complex investigation.

Earlier on Friday the chairman of the federal parliament's intelligence and security committee, Dan Tehan warned there is a gap in law enforcement's ability to "keep the community safe," highlighting the Charlie Hebdo attack in early 2015 as evidence of the potential for released terrorists to re-offend.

Australia has been under heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since September last year, which so far has resulted in the arrests of people -- 11 in Sydney alone -- in connection with domestic terror plots.

Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner for national security Michael Phelan told reporters on Thursday this group of men have the capacity and influence to carry out terror attacks on home soil without "external influences," such as Islamic State.

The COAG meeting also discussed other significant issues facing Australia's public including the publicly described epidemic of domestic violence and tax and revenue issues the states and territories are facing from the commonwealth government's funding cuts.

Turnbull told reporters the leaders have agreed to "continue investigating a full range of commonwealth and state tax and revenue-sharing options," though no firm decision has been made.

It's been proposed that Australia's goods and services tax (GST), or sales tax that flows directly to the states be increased to cover significant shortfalls in funding for health and education services.

Other proposed options include increasing Australia's public health levy, income-tax sharing between the commonwealth and the states and increasing state taxes. Endit