Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Amendment Bill 2026

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (14:11): I table a supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to the government amendment to be moved to this bill. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the amendment on sheet AD128 be agreed to.

Government's circulated amendment— (1) Page 40 (after line 3), at the end of the Bill, add: Division 5 — Foreign research projects Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020 95 After Division 6 of Part 5 Insert: Division 6A — Foreign research projects 55A Requirement in relation to foreign research projects (1) An Australian university must maintain policies and procedures for: (a) identifying research projects conducted by researchers employed or engaged by the Australian university with researchers employed or engaged by foreign entities; and (b) assessing whether such research projects: (i) adversely affect, or are likely to adversely affect, Australia's national interest; or (ii) are, or are likely to be, inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy; and (c) managing risks identified through those assessments.

(2) The Australian university must take reasonable steps to implement the policies and procedures. (3) In this section: Australian university means a university that is a State/Territory entity under paragraph 7(e).