Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton,pictured next to Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne,has previously said the government would"have a look at all"options to disrupt cybercrime.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton,pictured next to Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne,has previously said the government would "have a look at all" options to disrupt cybercrime.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

A well-informed source said,"1000 per cent,ASD does not want to do this".

Senior officials have repeatedly stated the proposal does not amount to spying on Australians but would mean the ASD's powers could be used where a computer network hosting criminal activity such as child exploitation,terrorism propaganda or drug smuggling needed to be disrupted. This would be done in co-ordination with the Australian Federal Police or ASIO.

Labor defence spokesman Richard Marles said the opposition would carefully consider any proposal the government brought forward in the intelligence space. But he cautioned there was a high bar to be cleared before Labor supported a domestic role for the ASD,which sits within the Defence portfolio.

"The starting point has to be keeping people safe,not growing Peter Dutton's empire,"Mr Marles said.

"Defence assets are rightly focused on keeping Australia safe from external threats. Just as there are long-standing principles about not involving the ADF in police work,there would need to be clear and overwhelming reasons why the Signals Directorate should be used to tackle domestic crime."

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The Greens'justice spokesman,Nick McKim,said"extraordinary surveillance and disruption powers"had already been given to security agencies.

"We remain the only liberal democracy in the world without a charter of rights[that would protect free speech,among other rights]. No further powers should be granted to security agencies without a thorough review of existing laws,and until all our rights are properly enshrined and protected."

Under proposals being discussed by national security officials,the ASD could also sit within the networks of major Australian power,water,telecommunications and other critical infrastructure companies to help defend them against foreign cyber attacks.

Sydney Liberal MP Jason Falinski told ABC TV on Saturday that there was room to boost the role of the ASD,given the growing threat of cyberterrorism.

"Imagine if the banking network went offline for 24 hours."

Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz,a member of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security,said he looked forward to being briefed on all details of the proposal.

"Mature consideration of all the elements is required,"he said.

Last year,after News Corp first reported on government discussions about new powers for the ASD,Mr Dutton said:"If we had a capacity to disrupt,for example,the live streaming of children being sexually exploited,would we explore ways that we could do that within the law? Of course we would. So we will have a look at all of those options."

Last week,a government spokesperson said:"The government's position has not changed since statements were made on this matter last year."

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