Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018

The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 (Cth) (FITSA) is an Australian statute that creates a registration scheme for foreign agents in Australia.

Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018
Parliament of Australia
Long title An Act to establish a scheme to improve the transparency of activities undertaken on behalf of foreign principals, and for related purposes
Enacted by	Parliament of Australia
Enacted	28 June 2018[1]
Considered by	Australian Senate
Assented to	29 June 2018[1]
Legislative history
First chamber: Parliament of Australia
Introduced by	Malcolm Turnbull
First reading	7 December 2017[1]
Second reading	26 June 2018[1]
Third reading	26 June 2018[1]
Second chamber: Australian Senate
First reading	27 June 2018[1]
Second reading	27 June 2018[1]
Third reading	28 June 2018[1]
Status: In force

FITSA is modelled on the American Foreign Agents Registration Act; when he introduced the bill that would become FITSA in Parliament, then–Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described it as an "improved version" of the American statute.^[2] The statute was part of a "package" of legislation aimed at countering foreign influence in Australia that the Turnbull government advanced beginning in December 2017.^[3][4] When drafting the bill, the Turnbull government worked closely with the United States Department of Justice.^[5] It was amended substantially following criticism from civil society groups that argued the original provisions would stifle freedom of speech.^[6]

FITSA received royal assent on 29 June 2018.^[7] It requires anyone who engages in lobbying or "any kind of communications activity for the purpose of political influence" on behalf of a "foreign principal"—a term that includes foreign governments and some other organizations—to register with the federal government, and imposes criminal penalties for failure to do so.^[3]

In December 2023, former Liberal candidate and prominent fundraiser Di Sanh "Sunny" Duong became the first person to be criminally convicted for violations of the law.^[8][9]

Further reading

• Barker, Cat; McKeown, Deirdre; Murphy, Jaan (16 March 2018). "Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017 and Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (Charges Imposition) Bill 2017". Parliament of Australia.