Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) | Hansard source

In summing up this debate I'd like to acknowledge the contributions that all members have made in the debate on this important bill, the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026. The government has an ambitious regulatory reform agenda, outlined in the budget, that will reduce regulatory burden by $10.2 billion. This bill deals with multiple issues that will benefit Australians and businesses right across the country. I'd like to thank those members who have taken the time to engage with the regulatory changes proposed by the bill during this debate.

I'd also like to thank the member for Indi for her productive engagement with the government on schedule 2, part 3 of the bill. This part drew interest from a range of parties in this place, but I want to acknowledge her particularly thoughtful engagement on this change. These discussions have led the government to moving amendments to remove schedule 2, part 3. This is in recognition that the vast majority of the bill's measures are supported by members across the House, and the government is eager to support their passage. The sooner the bill is passed, the sooner it becomes real change for Australians.

I also note the comments made by the opposition on schedule 2, part 4. The problem tackled by this amendment is not that these notifications are issued; it is a foundational principle that people must be notified when they have a case to answer. The problem is the mandatory nature of these notices. This mandatory obligation means that even people who play no part in a complaint, who are subject to no legal consequences and who have no procedural avenue to respond must receive these notices.

The commission estimates that it spends approximately 450 hours per year administering adverse allegation notifications. This can include identifying individuals who may be the subject of adverse allegations, assessing whether redactions to the complaint documents are required, obtaining their contact details, preparing notification correspondence and managing related inquiries. Removing this mandatory notification requirement is not just about administrative savings, which will allow the RHC to finalise more complaints every year; it is also about avoiding the frustration and stress that people who receive these notices often experience. The president of the AHRC will retain the power to notify people who are not respondents to a complaint where appropriate. Complainants will also retain the ability to add people to a complaint as respondents; where they do so, the commission must notify these people. Ultimately, the change proposed by schedule 2 part 4 will get the complaints process working better for everyone.

As I said in my second reading speech, regulatory reform omnibus bills are instrumental to delivering legislative reforms under the government's regulatory reform agenda. This agenda is an ambitious effort to get regulatory settings working better for Australians, boosting investments in our economy and ensuring that Australians are protected from harms. When fully implemented, our agenda will deliver: a $10.2 billion reduction in the regulatory burden every year; a single national market to create clear and consistent rules for businesses, workers and consumers no matter where they are in Australia; faster administrative processes to get more projects off the ground more quickly; modernised regulation that is fit for purpose for the digital economy and responsibly balances the challenges and opportunities brought to us by AI; and regulators being active stewards of regulation to embed productivity into how they work. The government will expect all our regulators to balance managing known and likely risks with supporting economic growth and dynamism. Legislative changes progressed by regulatory reform omnibus bills are meaningful steps towards these important goals.

To reiterate, this bill amends 25 acts, repeals two acts and will improve the operations of 18 government agencies. It simplifies regulation, particularly for businesses, progresses additional measures to support the government's tell-us-once agenda and makes technical amendments to get regulation working better for Australians. The bill will make important changes to intellectual property laws. It will add further integrity to the trademarks opposition process, boost protections for trademark holders by ensuring more robust investigations of patent and trademark attorneys accused of misconduct, and make a simple change, which means plant breeders won't accidentally lose valuable rights just because they missed a renewal payment deadline.

Beyond intellectual property, the bill will remove the mandatory 30-day appeal period for importers who advised they don't intend to appeal a negative preliminary decision by the Anti-Dumping Commissioner for a partial refund as part of the duty assessment process. This change will allow importers to receive faster refunds when they advise that they don't intend to appeal the decision.

The bill will also simplify business reporting requirements. It will simplify workplace gender equality reporting and target-setting requirements by adding a 12-month window at the end of a target cycle, and align the reporting period for public and private sector employers to ensure comparable data on gender equality in the workplace is available for both Commonwealth and private sector employers. It will also move reporting under the new eligible Drama Expenditure Scheme from a financial-year to calendar-year basis, aligning it with other Australian content reporting schemes.

Another important component of the bill are measures to continue driving a shift to a tell-us-once approach to government interactions with Australians and businesses. Thanks to this bill nominees, under the social security law, will now be able to cancel their nomination with a simple phone call instead of needing to follow up in writing. Goods that are subject to a tariff concession order will now be exempt from dumping and countervailing duties in certain circumstances without requiring a further administrative decision. This speeds up the process and means importers can get on with their business more quickly. Services Australia will be able to rely on information it already holds when supporting retirees who have been living overseas for more than two years to comply with their proof-of-life certificate obligations. These are changes that will make life easier for Australians and businesses. This bill will also allow eligible Defence Force superannuation scheme members to access an account based pension from CSC when they retire. This will give former ADF members more choice to manage their money in retirement and has support from serving and former ADF members.

Finally, the bill will make various technical amendments to improve the operation of existing regulations. It will repeal acts that have become redundant. It will clarify and align legislative definitions and concepts to support more efficient and timely administrative decision-making. All of these measures will make real improvements to how regulations work for all Australians. It will support better regulation. Better regulation is essential to unlock productivity in the Australian economy. It is the way to make sure people are protected without being stifled. It is the approach the government believes in, and it is what this bill will help to achieve. I thank the House once again for supporting the government's work to progress this important legislation.

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