SenateDivision 16 · 12 Mar 2026

Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 - Third Reading - Pass the bill

Passed34 aye · 10 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a third time. In other words, they voted in favour of passing the bill in the Senate. Because the bill has already passed in the House of Representatives, it can now become law.

What does this bill do?

According to the bills digest, which is a nonpartisan document prepared by the parliamentary library:

The purpose of the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 (the Bill) is to facilitate the provision of intelligence or operationally sensitive information to a Royal Commission. The Bill will amend the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to:

provide immunity from Commonwealth secrecy offences where a person provides intelligence or operationally sensitive information to a Royal Commission (as prescribed in the regulations) or their legal representative and

clarify that it is not a reasonable excuse to fail to provide intelligence or operationally sensitive information where required by a Royal Commission because it would contravene a secrecy provision.

The Bill will also amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 to make it a defence to an offence under Division 122 (which deals with secrecy of information) where a person communicates or deals with information for the primary purpose of providing it to a Royal Commission and the person has a reasonable belief that the relevant information was relevant to the Royal Commission’s inquiry.

The need to protect people engaging with Royal Commissions despite being subject to secrecy provisions has been raised previously, including by the Australian Law Reform Commission and by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

The Attorney-General’s Department also considered the need for reform in its 2022 review of confidentiality protections in the Royal Commissions Act and its 2023 review of Commonwealth secrecy provisions.

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

Third reading: The third reading is the chamber's final vote on the bill in the form it has reached. Passing it sends the bill to the other chamber, or on for assent.

Related bills

Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	24	0
Australian Greens	1	10
Liberal–National Coalition	4	0
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	4	0
Independent	1	0

Every vote

Other divisions this sitting day

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

12 Mar 2026Motions — Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social CohesionSenate 33–26
12 Mar 2026Motions - Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion - Bondi royal commission's special adviserSenate 26–33
12 Mar 2026Business — Consideration of LegislationSenate 33–26
12 Mar 2026Business — Consideration of LegislationSenate 27–32
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 13–34
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 13–35
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 25–42
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 8–43
12 Mar 2026Committees — Selection of Bills Committee; ReportSenate 13–28
12 Mar 2026Committees — Selection of Bills Committee; ReportSenate 29–13
12 Mar 2026Committees — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; ReferenceSenate 26–32
12 Mar 2026Committees — Environment and Communications References Committee; ReferenceSenate 4–35
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 23–13
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 24–16
12 Mar 2026Committees — Select Committee on Why Gas Companies Pay Less for Offshore Liquefied Natural Gas than Australians Pay in Beer Excise; AppointmentSenate 17–23
12 Mar 2026Motions — Fuel SecuritySenate 34–28
12 Mar 2026Motions - Fuel Security - Let another motion be movedSenate 28–34
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Raise humanitarian intake numbersSenate 11–24
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Condemns legislationSenate 11–24
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main ideaSenate 24–11
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Greens amendmentsSenate 11–26
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Strengthening preconditions, removing exclusion of rules of natural justice and compensationSenate 11–25
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Pass the billSenate 26–11