Via Domainfax:
Attorney General George Brandis is planning a once-in-a-generation shake-up of the legal framework governing who can lawfully influence Australian politicians, amid fears of clandestine Chinese Communist Party influence over politics in this country.
Mr Brandis flew to Washington in July, shortly after a series of Fairfax Media reports on the issue of foreign interference, and was briefed by US national security officials about introducing US style “foreign agent” laws into Australia.
Fairfax Media has also confirmed that Mr Brandis has been given detailed intelligence briefings that suggest Chinese Communist Party-affiliated lobbyists and business people have sought to exert influence in local, state and federal governments, and with ex-politicians in Australia.
Mr Brandis intends to bring laws similar to the Foreign Agents Registration Act to Parliament by November, as part of broader legislation to target the “sub-espionage” level of foreign interference. This includes individuals covertly lobbying, infiltrating or donating to political parties on behalf of foreign governments.
The US legislation requires people working for, or lobbying on behalf of, foreign powers in a “political or quasi-political capacity” to publicly disclose their relationship or risk civil or criminal penalties.
The Brandis reforms may involve new foreign interference offences, the modernising of treason offences to remove “archaic language,” and a new offence dealing with the theft of trade secrets on behalf of a foreign power. It may also create a publicly available Foreign Agents register, modelled on the US system, and new offences to protect confidential government information.
Good job.
Now, all we need is the same laws for local business!
