Defence Amendment (Safeguarding Australia—€™s Military Secrets) 2023

# Defence Amendment (Safeguarding Australia's Military Secrets) Bill 2023 ## What it does This law creates new rules about who can work for foreign militaries or governments. Former Australian defence staff need special permission from the Minister before they can take jobs with a foreign military or train foreign military organisations. Anyone else wanting to teach foreign militaries about Australian defence technology or military tactics also needs that same permission. ## Why it matters Australia wants to stop sensitive military knowledge and expertise from leaking to other countries. As tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region, controlling who can share our defence skills and technology with foreign forces has become a national security priority. ## Key details - **Who's affected**: Former defence department employees are the main target, but the rules also cover everyday Australians who might train foreign militaries about Australian military tech or tactics - **The permission system**: You can apply to the Minister for permission (called a "foreign work authorisation"), but they can refuse it if they think it's a security risk - **When it starts**: The law takes effect 28 days after it receives Royal Assent (formal approval)

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament