Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Repealing Offences) Bill 2026; Third Reading

Summary

This legislation removes criminal penalties from Australia's secrecy laws, making it no longer illegal to disclose certain classified or protected information. The amendment repeals specific offence provisions from existing secrecy legislation (likely including laws such as the Crimes Act 1914 or the Intelligence Services Act 2001, though the exact laws are not detailed in available materials). The change matters because it shifts how governments handle sensitive disclosures—rather than prosecuting people for revealing secrets, the focus moves to other legal remedies or regulatory approaches, which could affect whistleblowers, journalists, and public servants who currently face criminal liability for unauthorized disclosures.

What happens at this stage

The final vote in this chamber on the bill as a whole, after all amendments have been considered. If it passes, the bill moves to the other chamber to go through the same process. If both chambers have already agreed to identical text, the bill proceeds directly to Royal Assent.

Next: The other chamber, which runs the same process from First Reading, or Royal Assent if both chambers have already agreed