Government response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s Advisory Report on the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026

On Tuesday 31 March 2026, the government tabled its response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) advisory report on the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026.

The government agreed to the PJCIS’s sole recommendation that the Senate pass the Bill as soon as possible. Opposition members and senators of the PJCIS made 3 additional recommendations:

1. The head of each relevant intelligence agency, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Department and the Royal Commission, issue written guidance to staff on how the Bill operates.
2. The PJCIS review the operation of the Bill and the information arrangements following delivery of the interim report by the Royal Commission.
3. Within 6 months of commencement, the government review whether the immunity framework should be extended to cover information subject to Commonwealth secrecy provisions beyond intelligence information and operationally sensitive information.

The government agreed in principle to the opposition members’ first recommendation and noted recommendations 2 and 3.

Read the government response on the Parliament of Australia website