PJCIS urges swift passage of Foreign Arrangements Scheme amendments
Parliament of Australia
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has today tabled its report for its review of the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Amendment Bill 2026, recommending that the Bill be passed by the Parliament.
The Bill strengthens, streamlines and clarifies Australia’s Foreign Arrangements Scheme, delivering on recommendations from the 2025 independent review led by Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM.
At the heart of the reforms is a fundamental shift, moving the Scheme's focus from Australia's narrower "foreign relations" to the broader concept of the "national interest" – a change the Committee says is overdue given the current strategic environment.
The Committee received 11 submissions from stakeholders, including universities, local government representatives, academics and relevant Commonwealth agencies, and held a public hearing in Canberra on 6 August 2026.
Committee Chair Senator Raff Ciccone said the Committee had weighed the evidence carefully, particularly the implications of broadening the Bill's scope.
“Australia’s economic security, national security, research capability, foreign policy and international engagement are increasingly interconnected,” Senator Ciccone said.
“The proposed amendments more accurately reflect the contemporary strategic environment and will allow foreign arrangements to be assessed against the full range of Australia’s national interests.”
The reforms also cut red tape and sharpen the Scheme's focus on higher-risk activities. Key changes include a one-step notification process for non-core arrangements, reduced approval requirements for minor variations, clearer institutional autonomy provisions for foreign universities and improvements to the public register.
The Committee concluded that the amendments strike the right balance between maintaining Commonwealth visibility and oversight of foreign arrangements that may affect Australia’s national interest, while cutting unnecessary regulatory burden for lower-risk activities.
Further details on the review and the report are available on the Committee’s website: aph.gov.au/pjcis
Media enquiries
Office of Senator Raff Ciccone, Chair of the PJCIS
Contact: Giulio Di Giorgio, 0422 622 760
[email protected]
Background information
Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
02 6277 2360
[email protected]
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.
