Summary

Edit

The majority voted in favour of an amendment that will include a requirement for the Minister to prepare an annual report in the bill. The amendment was introduced by South Australian Senator Penny Wong (Labor).

Amendment text

(1) Page 66 (after line 19), after Division 4, insert:

Division 4A—Annual report

53A Annual report

(1) The Minister must cause to be prepared, as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, an annual report on the exercise of the Minister's decision-making powers under this Act during the year.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the report must include the following:

(a) statistical information about the decisions made by the Minister under the Act during the year, including the total number of decisions, the total number of decisions in each class of decision, and the outcomes of the decisions;

(b) a summary of the details of each of the decisions made by the Minister under the Act during the year;

(c) an outline of the engagement that has occurred during the year with entities covered by the Act to articulate and explain to those entities Australia's foreign policy and how they should engage with foreign entities in Australia's national interest.

(3) A copy of the report must be given to the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives, but it is the duty of the Leader of the Opposition to treat as secret any part of the report that is not tabled in a House of the Parliament.

(4) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the end of the year to which the report relates.

(5) However, before tabling the report the Minister may make such redactions to the report as the Minister considers necessary in order to avoid prejudice to security, the defence of Australia, Australia's relations with other countries, law enforcement operations or the privacy of individuals.

What do these bills do?

According to the bill homepage, the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020 was:

Introduced with the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020, the bill establishes a legislative scheme for Commonwealth engagement with arrangements between State or Territory governments and foreign governments, and their associated entities.

Votes Passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Jordon Steele-John WA Yes
Lidia Thorpe Victoria Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (68% turnout) 17 Yes 0 No
Tim Ayres NSW Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Raff Ciccone Victoria Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Alex Gallacher SA Yes
Katy Gallagher ACT Yes
Nita Green Queensland Yes
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Helen Polley Tasmania Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Jess Walsh Victoria Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Penny Wong SA Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Kristina Keneally NSW Absent
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Absent
Tony Sheldon NSW Absent
Marielle Smith SA Absent
Stirling Griff SA Centre Alliance Yes
Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party No
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Yes
Rex Patrick SA Independent Yes
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network Yes
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
James McGrath Queensland No
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (79% turnout) 0 Yes 23 No
Alex Antic SA No
Wendy Askew Tasmania No
Andrew Bragg NSW No
Slade Brockman WA No
Claire Chandler Tasmania No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Sarah Henderson Victoria No
Hollie Hughes NSW No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Andrew McLachlan SA No
Jim Molan NSW No
Matt O'Sullivan WA No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Gerard Rennick Queensland No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Paul Scarr Queensland No
Ben Small WA No
Dean Smith WA No
David Van Victoria No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
David Fawcett SA Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
Amanda Stoker Queensland Absent
National Party (67% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Perin Davey NSW No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Susan McDonald Queensland Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Pauline Hanson Queensland Yes
Malcolm Roberts Queensland Yes
Scott Ryan Victoria President No
Totals (79% turnout) 32 Yes – 28 No