This bill became law on Dec 4th, 2025.
Immigration, border & security
The Act expands intelligence oversight so the Inspector-General of Intelligence and SecurityAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. cover all ten National Intelligence CommunityAustralia’s ten-agency intelligence community, including ASIO, ASIS, ASD, ONI, ACIC, AFP, AUSTRAC and Home Affairs intelligence functions. agencies, including the ACICA national criminal intelligence agency. The Act moves it into full IGIS and PJCIS oversight. and the intelligence functionsThe parts of an agency’s work that collect, assess, use or coordinate intelligence, rather than all of its ordinary administration. of the AFP, AUSTRACAustralia’s financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering regulator. The Act covers its intelligence functions. and Home Affairs.
The government introduced the bill because Australia’s intelligence agencies were becoming more interconnected while the oversight framework was no longer uniform across the National Intelligence CommunityAustralia’s ten-agency intelligence community, including ASIO, ASIS, ASD, ONI, ACIC, AFP, AUSTRAC and Home Affairs intelligence functions.. The official case was that stronger, more consistent oversight by the IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights., the PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. and the INSLMAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate. was needed to keep public trust, legality and human-rights safeguards aligned with expanded intelligence powers.
This Act is part of a long-running sequence of intelligence-oversight reforms rather than a one-off machinery change. The speeches and explanatory materials connect it to the Hope royal commission legacy, the Richardson review, earlier PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. and independent intelligence review recommendations, and the need to adapt oversight to an intelligence community that now works across more agencies and more interconnected national-security threats.
The collected debate shows Coalition support for the bill’s passage, but Andrew Wallace criticised the government’s handling of national-security legislation and said PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. scrutiny had been restricted by truncated and rushed processes. He also argued future oversight should keep pace with emerging technology, including open-source intelligence and artificial intelligence.
Hon Michelle Rowland MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 04 Dec 2025
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
127 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
The Act expands intelligence oversight so the Inspector-General of Intelligence and SecurityAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. cover all ten National Intelligence CommunityAustralia’s ten-agency intelligence community, including ASIO, ASIS, ASD, ONI, ACIC, AFP, AUSTRAC and Home Affairs intelligence functions. agencies, including the ACICA national criminal intelligence agency. The Act moves it into full IGIS and PJCIS oversight. and the intelligence functionsThe parts of an agency’s work that collect, assess, use or coordinate intelligence, rather than all of its ordinary administration. of the AFP, AUSTRACAustralia’s financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering regulator. The Act covers its intelligence functions. and Home Affairs.
It lets the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. review proposed counter-terrorism and national-security law reforms on its own initiative, or after a referral by a minister, the Attorney-General or either house of Parliament.
It gives the committeeA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. a pathway to ask the IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. to inquire into operational activities within the IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. jurisdiction, while preserving the IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. discretion over whether to conduct an inquiry.
It requires annual briefings to the committeeA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. from the IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. and the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence, and clarifies the committeeA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation.’s ability to request briefings from the Independent National Security Legislation MonitorAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate..
It adjusts secrecy and complaint-handling rules so information can be shared with IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. officials for oversight work and complaints about AUSTRACAustralia’s financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering regulator. The Act covers its intelligence functions. or Home Affairs can move between relevant integrity bodies.
It also creates an exemption from civil and criminal liability for authorised Defence-related computer conduct connected to effects outside Australia, and broadens the INSLMAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate.’s own-motion reviewA review started by a body on its own initiative, rather than waiting for a minister or Parliament to refer it. remit for counter-terrorism and national-security legislation.
Expand the jurisdictions of the IGIS and the PJCIS to oversee the ACIC, and the intelligence functions of AUSTRAC, AFP and Home Affairs.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
Provide that the PJCIS may, at its own initiative or on referral of a responsible Minister, the Attorney-General or either House of Parliament, review proposed reforms to counter‑terrorism and national security legislation, and all such expiring legislation.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
Enable the PJCIS to request the IGIS conduct an inquiry into the legality and propriety of particular operational activities of the agencies within the IGIS’s jurisdiction, and if the IGIS undertakes an inquiry at the request of the PJCIS, require the IGIS to provide a report to the PJCIS or notify the reasons if a report is not provided.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
Require the Inspector-General and the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) to provide annual briefings to the PJCIS.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
Make consequential amendments to ensure that information that is protected by secrecy offences under relevant legislation can be disclosed to IGIS officials performing duties or functions, or exercising powers, as IGIS officials. These amendments would allow for the transfer of complaints regarding AUSTRAC and Home Affairs between the IGIS and other integrity bodies to facilitate effective consideration of those complaints by the appropriate body.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
The Bill amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Criminal Code) to introduce an exemption from civil and criminal liability for certain conduct engaged in by defence officials and others, that is connected to an effect outside of Australia.Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community explanatory memorandum
Context
This Act is part of a long-running sequence of intelligence-oversight reforms rather than a one-off machinery change. The speeches and explanatory materials connect it to the Hope royal commission legacy, the Richardson review, earlier PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. and independent intelligence review recommendations, and the need to adapt oversight to an intelligence community that now works across more agencies and more interconnected national-security threats.
Modern intelligence oversight takes shape
House debate traced today’s oversight architecture to the Hope royal commission and the later establishment of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and SecurityAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. under the Hawke government.
House second reading debate ↗Earlier reviews and bills feed into this reform
Anne Stanley said the bill implemented recommendations from the PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. advisory report on the 2020 Integrity Measures bill, the Richardson review and independent intelligence reviews.
House second reading debate ↗Independent Intelligence Review informs INSLMAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate. changes
The explanatory memorandum says the INSLMAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate. amendments address recommendation 64 of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review by broadening the monitorAn independent reviewer of counter-terrorism and national-security laws, including whether they remain necessary and proportionate.’s review remit.
Explanatory memorandum ↗Bill referred to the intelligence and security committee
The APH notes record referral to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation., with a committee report later dated 4 November 2025.
APH bill page notes ↗Committee report recommends passage
During House debate, Andrew Wallace said the PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. report recommended the bill be passed and made 11 further recommendations to strengthen oversight.
House second reading debate ↗Government amendments agreed in the House
The APH progress record shows 11 Government amendments agreed during House consideration in detail before the third reading passed.
APH bill page ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The collected source bundle records that the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee considered the bill in Scrutiny Digest 4 of 2025, but it does not include digest findings for this manual page.
Considered by scrutiny committee
The intelligence and security committee inquired into the bill. House debate says the committeeA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. recommended passage and made 11 further recommendations; government amendments were then moved and agreed in the House.
Reported; passage recommended
House second reading debateThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
Consideration in detail debate
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The collected debate shows Coalition support for the bill’s passage, but Andrew Wallace criticised the government’s handling of national-security legislation and said PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. scrutiny had been restricted by truncated and rushed processes. He also argued future oversight should keep pace with emerging technology, including open-source intelligence and artificial intelligence.
No speech in the provided bill-scoped sources opposed passage; the main criticism was about process and future-proofing, not the core oversight expansion.
Rushed national-security scrutiny
Andrew Wallace said the government had restricted and impeded PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. scrutiny through truncated timeframes, creating avoidable risk for national-security lawmaking.
Future oversight of open-source intelligence
Wallace said the growth of open-source intelligence and AI should remain an ongoing oversight question for lawmakers and the PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation..
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments grouped by chamber. Where APH reports aggregate counts, the package card summarizes the matching public amendment sheets by source theme.
House
Government amendments changed Schedule 1 oversight mechanics, including safeguards before prescribing Home Affairs intelligence functions, PJCIS review wording, IGIS notification where an inquiry is declined, private-meeting rules and classified-document handling.
Passed on the voices
The chamber agreed to this amendment package without a counted vote. APH records the agreed count by amendment, while the source documents are grouped into amendment sheets.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Michelle Rowland supported the bill as Attorney-General, saying the security environment had become more varied and unpredictable while the oversight framework was no longer uniform.
Read in Hansard ↗Andrew Wallace said the Coalition would support the bill because stronger oversight of all ten intelligence agencies was prudent and necessary.
Read in Hansard ↗Tim Ayres moved the second reading in the Senate and incorporated the government’s speech, supporting the same case for statutory and parliamentary oversight across intelligence agencies.
Read in Hansard ↗Claire Clutterham supported the bill as a way to balance stronger intelligence capability with public trust, rule-of-law safeguards and human-rights protections.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
6 speakers · 7 contributions · 6 support
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Michelle Rowland on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Minister's second reading speech
Michelle Rowland supported the bill as Attorney-General, saying the security environment had become more varied and unpredictable while the oversight framework was no longer uniform. She argued the bill would extend statutory and parliamentary oversight across all intelligence agencies and protect public trust, legality and rights.
“This bill will extend consistent statutory and parliamentary oversight to all agencies exercising intelligence capabilities.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Michelle Rowland closed the House debate by saying intelligence agencies had become more interconnected while oversight had not kept pace. She supported passage on the basis that expanding IGISAn independent office that reviews intelligence agencies for legality, propriety and consistency with human rights. and PJCISA cross-party parliamentary committee that scrutinises intelligence agencies and national-security legislation. jurisdiction would create more uniform and holistic oversight across the National Intelligence CommunityAustralia’s ten-agency intelligence community, including ASIO, ASIS, ASD, ONI, ACIC, AFP, AUSTRAC and Home Affairs intelligence functions..
“While our intelligence enterprise has evolved, its oversight framework has not kept pace and is in need of reform.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“This Bill will extend statutory and parliamentary oversight to all agencies exercising intelligence capabilities and ensure holistic oversight of the National Intelligence Community.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The measures contained in the bill are designed to ensure that robust and holistic oversight of Australia's intelligence community is achieved.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The bill will ensure the oversight of the national intelligence community will be holistic and appropriate in relation to significant powers invested in these agencies.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The bill before us does a number of useful things and is the result of deliberations, reviews and committee inquiry over the past decade.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill, the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025, ensures two layers of protection.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 support
“The coalition will support this bill.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Consideration in detail: amendments considered
Amendment packages agreed
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
Reported; passage recommended
The intelligence and security committee inquired into the bill. House debate says the committee recommended passage and made 11 further recommendations; government amendments were then moved and agreed in the House.
The bill was referred on 27 Aug 2025. The APH notes record a committee report dated 04 Nov 2025.
House second reading debateSenate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Considered by scrutiny committee
The collected source bundle records that the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee considered the bill in Scrutiny Digest 4 of 2025, but it does not include digest findings for this manual page.
The APH notes record consideration in Scrutiny Digest 4 of 2025.
APH bill page notes
