The Australian Senate has passed legislation establishing a new parliamentary committee to examine defence policy, including the AUKUS security agreement.
Under the bill, membership of the committee will be limited to representatives from the Labor Party and the Coalition.
The committee is expected to review issues related to Australia’s defence strategy and involvement in military conflicts.
The prime minister and the opposition leader will determine which MPs are appointed to the body.
The Greens opposed the measure, arguing the structure excludes minor parties and crossbench representatives from oversight of major defence decisions.
Greens senator David Shoebridge described the committee as a “secret” defence body and criticised the decision to restrict membership to the major parties.
Shoebridge said defence and foreign policy decisions should not be made behind closed doors and argued broader parliamentary representation was necessary for transparency.
The government and opposition have defended the committee as a mechanism to scrutinise sensitive national security matters.
