SenateDivision 1 · 4 Feb 2026

Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea

Passed34 aye · 11 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the main idea of the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a second time. This means they can now discuss it in more detail.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bills digest, which is a non-partisan document prepared by the parliamentary library:

The Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (the Bill) amends the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (ART Act) and the Migration Act 1958 (Migration Act) regarding certain decisions which may be made without holding an oral hearing.

The Bill amends the ART Act to expand the circumstances in which the Administrative Review Tribunal (the Tribunal) may make a decision based on written materials and without holding an oral hearing.

The Bill amends the Migration Act to require that the Tribunal make certain decisions regarding reviewable migration decisions ‘on the papers’ instead of conducting an oral hearing. For this purpose, the Bill specifies reviews of decisions to refuse to grant a student visa, and provides that regulations may prescribe reviews of decisions relating to other kinds of temporary visa, whether refusals to grant or to cancel a visa.

The requirement for the Tribunal to make certain decisions on the papers will not apply to decisions regarding permanent visas and reviewable protection decisions. However, the Tribunal will retain discretion to dispense with oral hearings for these matters, including in expanded circumstances set out in the Bill.

Proposed Division 4A of Part 5 of the Migration Act provides for a new process for the conduct of applications to be reviewed on the papers. The process includes requirements that the Tribunal must invite the applicant to provide written submissions concerning their case.

The Bill has been referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 24 November 2025.

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Second reading: The second reading vote decides whether the chamber agrees with the bill in principle. A second reading amendment attaches commentary or conditions to that agreement without changing the bill's text.

Related bills

Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	24	1
Australian Greens	1	9
Liberal–National Coalition	7	0
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	1	0
Independent	1	0
Jacqui Lambie Network	0	1

Every vote

Other divisions this sitting day

What the Senate divided on around this vote, in order.

4 Feb 2026Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 - in Committee - On the papers processSenate 31–13
4 Feb 2026Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 - in Committee - Independent review + further exceptionSenate 14–29
4 Feb 2026Committees — Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; ReferenceSenate 40–25
4 Feb 2026Committees — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; ReferenceSenate 30–35
4 Feb 2026Documents — Goods and Services Tax; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–40
4 Feb 2026Documents — Goods and Services Tax; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 40–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–40
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 39–24
4 Feb 2026Documents — Housing; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 24–39
4 Feb 2026Documents — Housing; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 39–24
4 Feb 2026Documents — Minister for Communications; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Minister for Communications; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 38–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Grok Chatbot; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 22–37
4 Feb 2026Documents — Grok Chatbot; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 36–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Cybersafety Legislation; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–37
4 Feb 2026Documents — Cybersafety Legislation; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Board of Peace; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents - Board of Peace - Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 18–31
4 Feb 2026Documents — Discrimination; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Discrimination; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Housing Australia; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Housing Australia; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 38–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Home Guarantee Scheme; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Home Guarantee Scheme; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–24
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–36
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 38–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 23–38
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 38–23
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 22–37
4 Feb 2026Documents — Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 37–22