41Minister may issue authorisations2

41 Minister may issue authorisations2 (1) The Minister may issue an authorisation identifying serious and3 organised crime in relation to which the ACIC may exercise the4 powers in this Part.5 Note: An authorisation must be in force before an examiner may exercise6 certain powers, including to hold an examination under section 58 or7 to give a person a notice to give information or produce a document or8 thing under section 50.9 (2) The only condition for the exercise of the power to issue an10 authorisation under subsection (1) is that the Minister is satisfied11 that it is in the public interest to issue the authorisation.12 (3) Without limiting the matters that the Minister may take into13 account in deciding whether issuing an authorisation is in the14 public interest, the Minister may take into account the following:15 (a) the potential economic or social harm associated with the16 serious and organised crime to which the authorisation17 relates;18 (b) the extent to which intelligence relevant to the serious and19 organised crime to which the authorisation relates is likely to20 support law enforcement agencies or intelligence or security21 agencies to combat serious and organised crime;22 (c) if the authorisation relates to one or more categories of23 entities, groups or suspected offenders—the extent to which24 entities, groups or suspected offenders covered by those25 categories are involved, or appear to be involved, in serious26 and organised crime;27 (d) if the authorisation relates to one or more specific entities,28 groups or suspected offenders—the extent to which those29 entities, groups or suspected offenders are involved, or30 appear to be involved, in serious and organised crime;31 (e) if the authorisation relates to one or more categories of32 serious and organised crime—the prevalence, or suspected33 prevalence, of those categories;34

Division 2 Authorisations for coercive powers