SenateDivision 5 · 1 Apr 2026

Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025, Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Agree with the bills' main idea

Passed38 aye · 20 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted in favour of a motion "that the bills be now read a second time." In other words, they voted to agree with the main idea of the bills.

Agree with the bills' main idea

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

The Commonwealth is the only Australian jurisdiction without an independent parole board. Parole decisions regarding federal offenders are currently made by the Commonwealth Parole Office (which sits within the Attorney-General’s Department) in coordination with the Attorney-General.

The Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and the Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 establish an independent Commonwealth Parole Board that will make parole decisions for federal offenders. The Parole Board will:

be constituted by a Chair, Deputy Chair and at least 3 sessional members, who will have expertise in relevant parole-related matters

have the power to make, amend, revoke or rescind parole for federal offenders

be authorised to request relevant information from relevant persons (as prescribed by the rules) and, where relevant, disclose information to relevant persons including law enforcement officials

have discretion in exercising its functions and powers.

In deciding to make parole decisions, the Parole Board may consider a broad range of matters that the Attorney-General can currently consider, including the risk to the community of releasing the person on parole; the person’s conduct while they have been serving their sentence; and the likely effect on the victim, or victim’s family, of releasing the person on parole.

The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the introduction of the Parole Board Bill as ‘an important step towards taking politics out of parole.’

The Bills have been referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for inquiry and report by 19 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

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	23	0
Liberal–National Coalition	0	20
Australian Greens	11	0
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	3	0
Independent	1	0

Every vote

Other divisions this sitting day

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

1 Apr 2026Criminal Code Amendment (Keeping Australia Safe) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main ideaSenate 26–34
1 Apr 2026Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Removing upper limit for urgent payment requestsSenate 12–35
1 Apr 2026Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - 6‑year limit on debt recovery, indexing urgent payment request limitsSenate 13–34
1 Apr 2026Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Remote area allowanceSenate 17–29
1 Apr 2026Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025, Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Role of the SecretarySenate 22–35
1 Apr 2026Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025, Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Role of SecretarySenate 38–21
1 Apr 2026Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and another - Limitation of Debate - Termination of appointmentsSenate 25–34
1 Apr 2026Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025, Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Attorney‑General objection powerSenate 25–34
1 Apr 2026Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025, Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Pass the billSenate 38–21
1 Apr 2026National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Vaccines to be tested against an inert saline placeboSenate 5–43
1 Apr 2026National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Pass the billSenate 39–5
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and another - Limitation of Debate - Strengthen alcohol regulationsSenate 34–24
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and another - Limitation of Debate - Strengthen alcohol regulationsSenate 34–23
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and another - Limitation of Debate - On-premises consumptionSenate 5–40
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and another - Limitation of Debate - 25 per cent tax on LNG export revenueSenate 12–32
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and another - Committee of the Whole - Tap spirits and independent reviewSenate 25–32
1 Apr 2026Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Craft beerSenate 6–38
1 Apr 2026Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Review and statement of reasons for refusing financial servicesSenate 25–34
1 Apr 2026Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Implement Multicultural Framework Review findingsSenate 12–33
1 Apr 2026Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - National frameworkSenate 12–32
1 Apr 2026Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languagesSenate 12–31
1 Apr 2026Translating and Interpreting Services Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Additional objects and Commonwealth‑funded translating and interpreting services frameworkSenate 12–32
1 Apr 2026Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025 - Limitation of Debate - Agree with the bill's main ideaSenate 36–25
1 Apr 2026Committees — Impact of the Conflict in Iran Select Committee; AppointmentSenate 33–27
1 Apr 2026Committees — Impact of the Conflict in Iran Select Committee; AppointmentSenate 27–33
1 Apr 2026Documents — Department of the Treasury, Home Guarantee Scheme; Order for the Production of DocumentsSenate 36–23