Foreign Interference Act In early 2018, the joint committee heard submissions from the intelligence services that indicated Australia was facing an unprecedented threat from espionage and foreign interference. The committee made "60 bipartisan recommendations on the government's separate espionage and foreign interference laws, which include greater protections for journalists." Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme The committee also contributed amendments to the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018. At this time, ZTE and Huawei and other "high-risk vendors" were deemed as unsuitable technology partners for the rollout of Australia's 5G network. Overshadowed by the leadership controversy, these security decisions went largely unreported. However, security partners, such as Congressman Mike Gallagher would later see that Australia was both the first Western democracy to be targeted by China and the first to protect itself:Australia was not only the canary in the coal mine for the expansion of Chinese influence, and just the way that they ruthlessly waged economic and ideological warfare; but was also the leader of the free world, the first country to take massive steps to counter that. Membership The committee consists of eleven members: five from the Senate and six from the House of Representatives. Six members are from the Government and five from the Opposition. Serving ministers are not allowed to be members, but members may previously have held ministerial positions. Members of the committee cease to be members when Parliament is dissolved, and new members are appointed after the new Parliament convenes. The members of the committee as of 17 April 2021 were: Senator James Paterson (Chair) (Lib, VIC) The Hon Anthony Byrne, MP (Deputy Chair) (ALP, Member for Holt, VIC) Senator the Hon Eric Abetz (Lib, TAS) Dr Anne Aly MP (ALP, Member for Cowan, WA) The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP (ALP, Member for Isaacs, VIC) Senator the Hon David Fawcett (Lib, SA) Ms Celia Hammond MP (Lib, Member for Curtin, WA) Senator the Hon Kristina Keneally (ALP, NSW) Mr Julian Leeser MP (Lib, Member for Berowra, NSW) Senator Jenny McAllister (ALP, NSW) Mr Tim Wilson MP (Lib, Member for Goldstein, VIC) See also Intelligence agencies Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Australian Secret Intelligence Service Defence Signals Directorate Defence Intelligence Organisation Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation Office of National Assessments Legislation Intelligence Services Act 2001 Intelligence Services Amendment Act 2004 References External links Official website Australian intelligence agencies Intel Committees of the Parliament of Australia Legislative intelligence oversight