ALHR

‘Foreign Influence’ legislative package

Please note: the resources provided below reflect several different points of view
and are provided for information only. ALHR does not necessarily endorse
the content of all of the following resources.

This page and its contents and linked documents are provided for
discussion purposes only and are not intended to be relied upon
as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be
relevant to the reader’s specific circumstances. 

What legislation has been passed?

Home Affairs and Integrity Agencies Legislation Amendment Act 2018 No 31

Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 No 63

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018 No 147

see also:

• the amendments proposed in Schedule 5 of the NSLA (EFI) Bill – see Amds to FITS  – and see related Report from June 2018
•  Remaining Problems with the FITS Bill and Outstanding Issues  (these relate to an earlier version of the Bill and some but not all of these points have been addressed)

National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018 No 67

see also:

• Espionage and FI Bill 2018 06 26 – See related Report from 7 June 2018
• Remaining Problems with the Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill (relates to an earlier version of the Bill and some but not all of these points have been addressed)

 

What legislation remains to be considered by Parliament?

Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 and the Australian Passports Amendment (Identity-matching Services) Bill 2018

Submissions (in relation to original Bills, not taking draft amendments into account)

Original submissions made to relevant Joint Federal Parliamentary Committees by ALHR/ ALHR members/ HRLC as follows:

• Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017, submissions at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intelligence_and_Security/TransparencySchemeBill/Submissions

ALHR submissions No 7, 7.1, 7.2, Valerie Heath submission No 15

• National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017, submissions at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intelligence_and_Security/EspionageFInterference/Submissions

ALHR submission No 7, Human Rights Law Centre submission No 10, Valerie Heath submission No 14

See also ALHR submission No 7 in relation to FITS which has several pages also dealing with changes to the EFI Bill.

• Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017, submissions at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Electoral_Matters/ELAEFDRBill2017/Submissions

ALHR submission No 65, Human Rights Law Centre submission No 142

• Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 and the Australian Passports Amendment (Identity-matching Services) Bill 2018, submissions at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intelligence_and_Security/IMSBill/Submissions

ALHR submission No 2

Related Papers and Sites

Joint Committee on Electoral matters

Advisory report on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017

Second Interim Report of Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, March 2017

UN and EU Papers

The importance of human rights defenders, Feb 2018 – Submission 30 – UN Special Rapporteurs

Venice Commission 2006 on Foreign Financial Contributions

Comparison with other legislation (courtesy of International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law)

RUSSIAN FEDERAL LAW on NCOs (as amended) marked up

ICNL_Overview of the Russian Foreign Funding Law

Websites

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance