Portfolio — 20 August 2026

The Attorney-General advanced legislation across three integrity domains on 20 August, pairing media releases on sport integrity and child-safety screening with a substantial parliamentary contribution on counter-terrorism law reform in the House.

**Sport integrity legislation introduced**

The Attorney-General announced the introduction of the Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) Bill 2026, which criminalises match-fixing and related corruption in sport [TA-260820-attorn-d71bee258fcc]. She stated, "There's no place in Australia for match-fixing or conduct that seeks to undermine the integrity of our sporting events" [TA-260820-attorn-d71bee258fcc].

**Working with Children Checks now operational**

The Attorney-General confirmed that "banned in one, banned in all" legislation for Working with Children Checks is now in force across all states and territories, creating mutual recognition of negative WWCC notices [TA-260820-attorn-da09d2047a1c]. This follows the Standing Council of Attorneys-General meeting in Darwin on 31 July and extends the portfolio's effort to harmonise child-safety screening nationwide [TA-260820-attorn-da09d2047a1c].

**Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill 2026**

In the House, the Attorney-General moved that order of the day No. 7 be called on immediately, and the House agreed [TA-260819-house-e023dad986e7:s006]. She then delivered her second-reading contribution on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, thanking parliamentary colleagues for their debate contributions.

The bill introduces targeted amendments informed by law-enforcement operational experience to keep counter-terrorism powers available, effective and proportionate [TA-260819-house-e023dad986e7:s148]. It extends the sunset date for key counter-terrorism frameworks and streamlines response frameworks for high-risk terrorist offenders. The legislation strengthens the control-order framework, including its application to young people, and improves information-sharing provisions in both control-order and post-sentence-order regimes.

Technical amendments refine the process for listing terrorist organisations, and the changes give effect to Australia's obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

The Attorney-General described the changes as a proportionate and targeted response to the challenging terrorism threat environment and affirmed that the bill maintains and enhances critical counter-terrorism powers [TA-260819-house-e023dad986e7:s148].

**Government rejects crossbench amendment**

During consideration in detail, the Attorney-General told the House that the government will not support amendments proposed by the member for Mayo. She argued that the existing sentencing framework under the Crimes Act is appropriately balanced and that a conviction for a terrorist act warrants a severe penalty, so the government will maintain the current regime [TA-260819-house-e023dad986e7:s151].

**Synthesis**

The day's activity across both streams reflects a coherent portfolio-wide integrity agenda. The media releases frame sport and child-safety measures as safeguarding community institutions from exploitation and harm. The parliamentary contribution on counter-terrorism extends the same protective framing to national security, with the Attorney-General positioning the legislation as part of the government's continuing, holistic effort to protect Australians.

The continuity thread from the 31 July Standing Council meeting through to today's WWCC announcement demonstrates sustained portfolio momentum on harmonisation, while the counter-terrorism bill represents the most legislatively consequential item of the day.