Labor awaits detail on new terror laws

Labor is prepared to work with the federal government on the latest round of counter-terrorism policies but wants to see the detail.

The government is expected to introduce laws in November that include lowering the age of control orders to 14 following the Parramatta shooting of a police accountant by a 15-year-old boy.

"We have said we are prepared to work constructively with the government on that," Labor's Ed Husic told Sky News on Sunday.

Mr Husic said it was a difficult balancing act, making sure national security laws didn't curtail civil liberties.

Deputy Greens leader Scott Ludlam also wants to see the detail of the new legislation.

But he said the new prime minister appeared to be taking a less cynical approach to national security laws than that of former Liberal leader Tony Abbott, whose approach appealed to the shock jocks.

Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm has opposed all of the national security legislation so far, saying Australia already has laws on the books to deal with terrorists.

"They are not the smartest crooks in the world and it is really a failure of policing ... that they think they have to bring in new laws rather than deal with the individuals concerned," he told Sky News.