Foreign interference laws set to pass parliament

The Senate is today expected to pass laws cracking down on foreign interference in Australian politics.

Police seen outside Parliament House Canberra.

Police seen outside Parliament House Canberra. Source: AAP

The federal government's draft laws cracking down on foreign interference are expected to pass parliament today with support from Labor.

Under the new laws, foreign political donations will be banned and a new lobbyist register will be created listing people who work behalf of a foreign government, as well as greater offences for espionage conduct.

The bill has the support of the Labor party, following a parliamentary review which sought changes to the laws including an exemption for charities and religious groups from registering in the lobbyist list.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, a former intelligence officer, is among the sole voices in parliament who has raised concerns about the bill, saying the laws could diminish civil rights.

He also questioned why the laws needed to pass before the "Super Saturday" by-elections.

"No government has any right to misuse national security in the lead-up to by-elections or an election," Mr Wilkie told parliament recently.

"No government has the right to take us down the road to being a police state. I regret to say that there's more than a whiff of all of those concerns in [this bill]."


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2 min read
Published 27 June 2018 12:02pm
By Rashida Yosufzai, James Elton-Pym


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