A new system for increasing the transparency of dealings with overseas entities by Government personnel and employees of the Australian Public Service is to come into force on 10 December.
Attorney-General, Christian Porter (pictured) said that from that date the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) would play a major new role in protecting Australia’s democracy.
“FITS will provide visibility of the forms and sources of foreign influence in Australia’s governmental and political processes,” Mr Porter said.
“Covert foreign influence can have serious implications for political sovereignty and national policy. This can result in the interests of foreign principals being placed over Australian national interests without appropriate transparency.”
He said FITS, along with the Espionage and Foreign Interference Act, provided key protections to national security and democratic institutions and processes, and supported Australia’s sovereignty, values and national interests.
“These new national security Acts were requested by our National Security Agencies and reflect the fact that, as we have heard time and time again from our most senior national security leaders, we live in a time of unprecedented foreign intelligence activity against Australia,” Mr Porter said.
He said the danger existed from increasing numbers of foreign agents, — and foreign powers — who were engaging in espionage and interference at a higher level than at any time since the Cold War.
“From Monday, 10 December, any person who undertakes certain activities on behalf of a foreign principal for the purpose of influencing a political or Government process will be required to register under the scheme,” Mr Porter said.
“A register of all those covered by the scheme and details about their activities as well as the nature of their arrangements with foreign principals will be publicly available.”
He said that since the passage of the legislation earlier this year two sets of rules had been finalised under the Foreign Influence Transparency Act, which would underpin the operation of the FITS.
“The first is a set of rules specifying the disclosures that must be made when undertaking communications activity,” Mr Porter said.
“This could include media broadcasts, articles or messages sent via applications such as WhatsApp.
“The second set of rules will set out what information about registrants will be made public.”
He said these would include names the registrant and the foreign principal would be known by; details of the arrangements with the foreign principal; details of the activity being undertaken on behalf of the foreign principal; and the date or period in which the activity is taking place.”
Mr Porter said foreign actors would remain free to promote their interests in Australia “provided this is done in a lawful, open and transparent way”.
