Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the following reports: Review of the listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor of terrorism under the Criminal Code and Advisory report on the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026, incorporating a dissenting report.

Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present two reports: firstly, the Review on the listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsor the IRGC—as a state sponsor of terrorism under the Criminal Code. The committee supports the continued listing of the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism. The committee is satisfied that the appropriate process has been followed and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps meets the definition of a state sponsor of terrorism. Specifically, the committee concurs that the IRGC is a foreign state entity which has directly or indirectly engaged in, prepared, planned, assisted in or fostered the doing of a terrorist act that was targeted at Australia. Lastly, speaker, the committee stands with the Australian Iranian community in this time of considerable distress, uncertainty, but also hope.

Throughout this important review, the committee received more than 180 submissions and held a public hearing with a wide range of organisations representing the Australian Iranian community. The overwhelming majority of submissions and evidence strongly supported the IRGC's continued terrorist listing. On behalf of the committee, I extend my thanks to all those who participated in this review.

We heard some harrowing evidence from people with lived and shared experience of the IRGC's reign of terror. I thank those who shared personal experiences of suffering. This would not have been easy. The committee recognises the courage and convictions of these individuals who have willingly contributed to our democratic and parliamentary process and spoken out against the repressive activities of the IRGC despite clear and potential risks to their own personal safety.

The committee considers that the IRGC's demonstrated willingness to engage in violence, intimidation and transnational repression, including against Australian targets, meets and exceeds the threshold intended by the parliament when establishing the state sponsor of terrorism framework. The listing strengthens Australia's ability to disrupt and deter IRGC-linked activity within Australia, including financing, facilitation and intimidation. It also sends a clear signal that hostile state-directed activity targeting Australian communities will not be tolerated. The listing makes support of the IRGC illegal in various ways, and the committee calls on the Australian Iranian community and the wider community to be vigilant and to report any intelligence they hold to the Australian Federal Police's 24-hour National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.

Overall, the committee supports the listing of the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism under the Criminal Code and finds no reason to disallow the legislative instrument. The committee also makes three recommendations directed at ensuring the listing is appropriately implemented in practice, including an important recommendation to promote proactive engagement from government with the Australian-Iranian community, including in languages other than English, where required, to encourage and report back on information sharing.