Sponsor speech Supports
Alex Antic
Alex Antic introduced and supported the bill.
Read in Hansard ↗Digital ID Repeal
Current status
This bill is currently before Parliament.
Policy area
Government & democracy
What does this bill do?
The bill would repeal the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024The related 2024 law that made transitional and consequential changes for the Digital ID framework. This repeal bill would repeal it and reverse its consequential amendments., rather than amending selected parts of those laws.
Why was it introduced?
Senator Alex Antic introduced the bill, with five other senators listed as sponsors, to repeal the 2024 Digital ID laws. The explanatory memorandum and second-reading speech say the sponsors were concerned that the Digital ID system was described as voluntary but could become effectively necessary for ordinary services, especially where users were pushed toward digital identity for online transactions, professional or business dealings, or other basic settings.
Broader context
The bill sits inside a wider dispute about national digital identity. The collected public-context material frames digital identity as a way to reduce repeated identity checks, improve security and support digital services after major data breaches. Antic and the bill sponsors framed the same system as a risk to practical choice, privacy and access to everyday services if digital ID became hard to avoid.
Key criticism
The collected record does not show substantive criticism of this repeal bill itself. The available bill-specific material is mainly the sponsors’ case for repeal, which criticises the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. rather than recording detailed objections to the repeal proposal.
Who supported it?
Senator Alex Antic, with Senators Ralph Babet, Matthew Canavan, Pauline Hanson, Gerard Rennick and Malcolm Roberts listed as sponsors introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Liberal Party.
Introduced in Senate 26 June 2024
Before Senate 27 Aug 2025
Not yet reached House —
Not yet law —
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
714 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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The bill would repeal the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024The related 2024 law that made transitional and consequential changes for the Digital ID framework. This repeal bill would repeal it and reverse its consequential amendments., rather than amending selected parts of those laws.
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Schedule 1 would repeal the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. in full, and Schedule 2 would repeal the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024The related 2024 law that made transitional and consequential changes for the Digital ID framework. This repeal bill would repeal it and reverse its consequential amendments. in full.
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The bill would also undo related amendments made to six other Commonwealth laws: the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act, Age Discrimination Act, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act, Competition and Consumer Act, Privacy Act, and Taxation Administration Act.
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If passed, the repeal would start on the later of Royal AssentThe final formal approval a bill needs before it can become an Act. or immediately after the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. starts; if the Digital ID Act never starts, this repeal bill would not start either.
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The explanatory memorandum says the bill is aimed at preventing Australians from being forced, in practice, to use centralised digital identity information to take part in basic domestic and professional settings.
Show source excerpts
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This Bill repeals the: Digital ID Act 2024; and Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024.
Digital ID Repeal explanatory memorandum -
Schedule 1—Repeal of the Digital ID Act 2024 ... Repeal the Act. Schedule 2—Repeal of the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 ... Repeal the Act.
Digital ID Repeal introduced bill text -
Part 2 of Schedule 2 repeals each of the consequential amendments which the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 made to the: Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977; Age Discrimination Act 2004; Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979; Competition and Consumer Act 2010; Privacy Act 1988; and Taxation Administration Act 1953.
Digital ID Repeal explanatory memorandum -
The later of: (a) the start of the day this Act receives the Royal Assent; and (b) immediately after the commencement of the Digital ID Act 2024. However, the provisions do not commence at all if the event mentioned in paragraph (b) does not occur.
Digital ID Repeal introduced bill text -
The Bill is compatible with human rights because it advances the protection of human rights by ensuring that Australians are not forced to participate in centralised control of their identification information in order to participate in basic domestic and professional settings.
Digital ID Repeal explanatory memorandum
Context
Broader context for this bill
The bill sits inside a wider dispute about national digital identity. The collected public-context material frames digital identity as a way to reduce repeated identity checks, improve security and support digital services after major data breaches. Antic and the bill sponsors framed the same system as a risk to practical choice, privacy and access to everyday services if digital ID became hard to avoid.
- 30 Sept 2022
Optus breach highlights identity risks
A collected government source gave advice to people affected by the Optus data breach, including monitoring accounts, using multi-factor authentication and seeking help if identity details were compromised.
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts ↗ - 23 Feb 2023
Government moves toward national digital identity
The Australian Financial Review reported that Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was expected to tell digital ministers the Commonwealth wanted digital identity legislation by the end of the year, following large data breaches involving Optus and Medibank.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 26 Mar 2024
Senate deal brings businesses closer to the scheme
The AFR reported that banks, credit-card operators and Australia Post were likely early participants in the digital identity verification scheme, after changes intended to secure Senate support.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 13 May 2024
Budget funds digital ID rollout
The AFR reported $288 million in federal investment for the new digital ID scheme, including $23.4 million to upgrade encryption for myGov and related platforms.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 26 June 2024
Antic introduces repeal bill
Senator Antic introduced the repeal bill and argued that the Digital ID laws had passed without proper debate and could become effectively mandatory in practical settings.
Senate Hansard ↗ - 04 July 2024
Digital ID rollout remains contested
A collected AFR analysis argued that risks to the federal government digital ID system were visible in problems with other government-led data and technology projects.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 27 Aug 2025
Repeal bill returns to the Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber.
After lapsing at the end of Parliament on 21 July 2025, the APH bill history records that the bill was restored to the Senate Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber. on 27 August 2025.
Parliament of Australia ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 26 June 2024
The bill was formally presented in the Senate and read a first time.
Introduced and read a first time
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill’s main purpose and principles are debated. opened 26 June 2024
Senator Alex Antic moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill’s main purpose and principles are debated. and had his speech incorporated in Hansard, setting out the case for repealing the 2024 Digital ID laws.
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill’s main purpose and principles are debated. moved
Lapsed at end of Parliament 21 July 2025
The APH bill history records that the bill lapsed at the end of the previous Parliament before later being restored.
Restored to Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber. 27 Aug 2025
The APH bill history records that the bill was restored to the Senate Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber., leaving it still before the Senate.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
The collected record does not show substantive criticism of this repeal bill itself. The available bill-specific material is mainly the sponsors’ case for repeal, which criticises the Digital ID Act 2024The 2024 Commonwealth law that established the digital identity framework this bill would repeal. rather than recording detailed objections to the repeal proposal.
This is a statement about the local bill corpus, not proof that no outside stakeholder or parliamentarian criticised the repeal bill.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
All speeches by bloc
Coalition
1 speaker · 1 support
Coalition
1 speaker · 1 support
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Alex Antic ★ Alex Antic introduced and supported the bill.
“I am introducing this Bill in the hope that the parliament will contemplate the dystopian direction it has the potential to lead our country down. We ought not to allow Australia to carelessly wander in this direction. We should repeal the Digital ID Act 2024.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Before Senate -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- Senate
- Sponsors
- Senators Alex Antic, Ralph Babet, Matthew Canavan, Pauline Hanson, Gerard Rennick and Malcolm Roberts -- Listed in the APH metadata and explanatory memorandum.
- Proposed amendments
- None circulated -- The APH-derived source bundle records no proposed amendments.
- Recorded divisions
- None collected -- No counted votes were present in the collected source bundle.
- 26 June 2024
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented in the Senate and read a first time.
- 26 June 2024
Senate · Second reading moved
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill’s main purpose and principles are debated. opened
Senator Alex Antic moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill’s main purpose and principles are debated. and had his speech incorporated in Hansard, setting out the case for repealing the 2024 Digital ID laws.
- 21 July 2025
Senate · Lapsed at end of Parliament
Lapsed at end of Parliament
The APH bill history records that the bill lapsed at the end of the previous Parliament before later being restored.
- 27 Aug 2025
Senate · Restored to Notice Paper
Restored to Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber.
The APH bill history records that the bill was restored to the Senate Notice PaperParliament’s official list of business that may be considered by a chamber., leaving it still before the Senate.