Australian Federal Police (AFP) will be given the power to demand identification from anyone at any airport in Australia under new policies unveiled by the Turnbull government.
Domestic airports around Australia will also replace metal detectors with 3D image scanning technology.
The legislation to give police more power is part of a $294 million funding package for airport security announced in the budget last week. There will be 190 new AFP personnel hired, to be stationed in domestic airports around Australia, including 140 with an anti-terrorism focus.
AFP officers currently can only request ID if someone is suspected of committing, or planning to commit, an offence. The new powers would allow the AFP to ask for ID without this precondition at airports.
At the press conference to announce the policy on Tuesday, home affairs minister Peter Dutton described it as an anomaly and an absurdity that police couldn't do this today.
"We're addressing an anomaly and a deficiency in the law at the moment."
"There's certain conditions that need to be met at the moment before police can ask for the identification," he said. "Which is an absurdity and it's an issue that the police have raised with us. So we're addressing an anomaly and a deficiency in the law at the moment."
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull pointed to the foiled terror plot on an Etihad Airways flight last year as one reason why the new powers and funding were being granted.
When asked at a press conference to justify the new powers, the prime minister said "the justification is the safety of the Australian people".
In a radio interview prior to that, the PM said that we live in "dangerous times", but he said that people at airports would not be required to carry ID.
"Well you don’t have to, there’s no law that requires you to. But it's hard to think of anyone that wouldn't have some ID and wouldn't be able to say a bit about themselves," he said.
"I mean the police are being trained to observe behavior. They pay very close attention to people who are looking anxious or you know, creating a suspicious environment."
Greens justice spokesperson, senator Nick McKim said in a statement that the new powers must be resisted.
"Demanding people produce documents on the spot is a hallmark of police states," he said. "This is the slow march of authoritarianism. It starts in airports – how long until it’s random checks on the streets or in people’s homes?"
When asked about the announcement on Tuesday, opposition leader Bill Shorten argued airports should get more money for security.
"I am worried the government has underfunded the security promise and it will put the viability of some regional airports under stress in Queensland," he said. "It is important that whilst we promote the security of our airports, we don't punish the viability of regional airports – in particular, in Queensland and Western Australia."