Australian senator emphasizes need for stringent security for Parliament House with fake bomb

During a committee hearing on Monday at the Parliament House in Australia, a senator has made an obvious, albeit shocking point about the effects of relaxed security in the area. Liberal Party representative and senator Bill Heffernan, said The Associated Press, at one point produced what appeared to be a pipe bomb from a shopping bag while making a speech about routine police and security issues in the building. The 71 year-old wheat farmer said he was able to bring the item, which is an elongated bomb with several sticks of dynamite attached together with tape, that he has earlier used to blast tree stumps on a farm.

He added, "There is nothing to stop anyone bringing those ingredients in here over a period of time."

AP said Heffernan's demonstration was part of a probe by the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, who was questioning Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus at that time regarding building security.

Answering Heffernan's questions about the possibility about makeshift bombs getting smuggled inside the Parliament Hose, Negus agreed that there is a risk given the current arrangements.

The Independent said this was not the first time the outspoken MP had attempted to smuggle dangerous items to make a point. In 2009, a knife was confiscated from him in his attempt to stress the relaxation of security in the building.

Although both Heffernan and Negus knew that the bomb was fake, the rest of the people at the committee hearing were taken aback with the showing of the item.

Committee chairman Ian Macdonald told Heffernan during his demonstration, "I just hope you are not doing anything illegal to which we are accessories."

Before the relaxation of security at the Parliament House, everyone who works in the building had to go through airport-like security, with a metal detector positioned at the entrance with bags x-rayed for suspicious items. With the exception of journalists, diplomats and some contractors and other higher-risk minority, anyone not on the list are not screened, AP said.

Australian Senate President John Hogg has said that the security relaxation at the Parliament House was partly due to budget cuts.

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Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus, Australian Senator Bill Heffernan, Aussie senator pipe bomb show, Australiam Parliament House

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