38Ability to provide information, documents or things to ONI relating to international or other matters

38 Ability to provide information, documents or things to ONI relating to international or other matters

(1) For the purpose of ONI performing its function under paragraph 7(1)(c) or (d), a Commonwealth authority may provide to ONI information, documents or things that the head (however described) of the Commonwealth authority considers relates to matters of political, strategic or economic significance to Australia.

Note: Even though a Commonwealth authority may voluntarily provide information, documents or things under this section, the Commonwealth authority may be required to provide the same information, documents or things in response to a request made under section 37.

(2) To avoid doubt, a Commonwealth authority may provide information, documents or things to ONI under this section even if doing so would not otherwise fall within the Commonwealth authority’s statutory functions.