Australian crossbench to introduce bill targeting military exports linked to rights breaches
Crossbench MPs in Australia are preparing to introduce legislation aimed at stopping defence equipment, technology or services from being used in ways that could breach the country's international human rights obligations. The proposal, described by its backers as "red lines" legislation, is due to be presented on Monday. It comes amid growing political pressure on the Albanese government over Australia's role in the F-35 supply chain and concerns about how parts may be used in the conflict in Gaza.
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The bill is being backed by MPs including David Pocock and Sophie Scamps, alongside Greens and independents Lidia Thorpe, Andrew Wilkie and Fatima Payman. According to the proposal, Australian goods should not be used by the Israeli military, including in F-35 fighter jets, if that use could breach human rights obligations. Supporters say the measure is intended to prevent Australia's involvement in manufacturing parts of the aircraft used by the Israeli air force in operations in Gaza.
Pocock said human rights and the Gaza conflict were the issues he heard about most often from constituents, adding that he had received thousands of emails from people in Canberra concerned about civilian deaths overseas. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has previously said Australia's contributions to the F-35 supply chain are non-lethal in nature. Defence minister Richard Marles has rejected criticism of the program as misinformation, saying Australia has been part of the multinational arrangement with Lockheed Martin for decades and does not deal with Israel directly.
The proposal matters because it places Australia's defence-industrial links under renewed scrutiny at a time when governments are being pressed to align export controls with international law. It also reflects wider debate over whether states that contribute components to multinational weapons systems can be held responsible for how those systems are used in conflict. The crossbench says the legislation would bring Australian law into line with its human rights obligations and could also affect investment in activities linked to illegal settlements and serious international law violations.
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The push follows criticism of the prime minister last week, including from within his own party, for not following the UK and other like-minded countries in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The crossbench proposal goes further than a simple trade restriction, seeking to create a legal test for defence exports, services and technology where there is a risk of rights breaches. Its supporters also want the creation of an independent anti-genocide commissioner, and say large companies, defence businesses and Commonwealth entities should face reporting obligations.
What remains unclear is how much parliamentary support the bill will attract and whether the government will respond with its own changes to export or reporting rules. It is also not yet clear how the proposal would be enforced in practice, particularly across complex multinational supply chains such as the F-35 program. The next key moment will be the bill's introduction on Monday and any government response that follows.
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