On what date, if any, did the Terrorism Designation Working Group start their review of the evidence on the American Proud Boys re-designation as a terrorist entity under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 as outlined by the Chief Executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the Department's annual review hearing on 28 January 2026?

Answer

Corrected reply: Section 23(c) of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 sets out particular requirements when considering an entity for designation under the Act when an entity has been designated previously and that designation has been revoked or has expired. 23 Further provisions relating to final designation A designation under section 22— (c) may be made in respect of an entity who was earlier the subject of a designation made under section 22 and that has expired or been revoked (the earlier designation) only if it is based on information that became available after the expiry or revocation of the earlier designation and is significantly different from the information on which the earlier designation was based: The result of this statutory requirement is that the Terrorism Designation Working Group (TDWG) continues to monitor and review the activities of the American Proud Boys for conduct that meets the tests for designation that has only occurred since the expiry of their designation (or activity prior to that date that TDWG had not been aware of). This means that the TDWG cannot give a definitive date for when findings can be reported back.