The Australian Senate voted on Tuesday to refer the Albanese government's sweeping defence bill to a parliamentary inquiry. Greens and crossbench senators balked at provisions letting about 50 senior public servants exercise powers held by the Defence Minister.

The legislation, introduced by Defence Minister Richard Marles, would allow the minister to delegate a wide range of statutory powers to senior officials in the Department of Defence. Critics said this would quietly expand executive authority over military deployments and procurement. The government has argued that the changes are needed to speed up decision-making as Australia accelerates its AUKUS submarine program and a broader military build-up.

The referral sends the bill to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee. That makes passage before the end of the parliamentary year unlikely, and Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge said the committee should take submissions into early 2027. Independent senator David Pocock and several crossbench colleagues backed the motion, saying the delegation provisions had received almost no public explanation.

The vote is an early test of the government's handling of national security legislation, which has traditionally passed with bipartisan support. Legal scholars and civil liberties groups, including the Australian Lawyers Alliance, have warned that the bill lacks clear limits on which powers can be delegated.

They also said it does not set out how decisions made by officials would be reported to Parliament. A spokesperson for Mr Marles said the government would engage constructively with the inquiry but remained committed to the reforms.

The debate comes as Canberra reassesses its strategic position after the US midterm elections. The results left President Donald Trump facing a Democratic-controlled House. Defence analysts at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said a more constrained Washington had sharpened questions about how much war-making discretion should rest with ministers and officials rather than Parliament.