Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the sixth report of 2026 of the Selection of Bills Committee and seek leave to have the report incorporated into the Hansard.

Leave granted.

The report read as follows—

Selection of Bills Committee

REPORT NO. 6 OF 2026

14 May 2026

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Senator Tony Sheldon (Government Whip, Chair)

Senator Wendy Askew (Opposition Whip)

Senator Sean Bell (One Nation Whip)

Senator Nick McKim (Australian Greens Whip)

Senator Ralph Babet

Senator Leah Blyth

Senator Ross Cadell (Nationals Whip)

Senator the Hon. Anthony Chisholm

Senator Jessica Collins

Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher

Senator Jacqui Lambie

Senator Fatima Payman

Senator David Pocock

Senator Lidia Thorpe

Secretary: Tim Bryant 02 6277 3020

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 6 OF 2026

1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 13 May 2026 at 7.16 pm.

2. The committee recommends that—

(a) the provisions of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 18 June 2026 (see appendix 1 for statement of reasons for referral),

(b) the provisions of the Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 31 July 2026 (see appendix 2 for statement of reasons for referral),

(c) the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 6 August 2026, and

(d) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 17 June 2026 (see appendix 3 for statement of reasons for referral).

3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:

(Tony Sheldon)

Chair

13 May 2026

Appendix 1

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill: Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: Consider in detail

Possible submissions or evidence from: Relevant stakeholders

Committee to which bill is to be referred: Economics

Possible hearing date(s): May-June

Possible reporting date: 18 June

(signed)

Wendy Askew

Appendix 2

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill: Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: Consider in detail

Possible submissions or evidence from: Relevant stakeholders

Committee to which bill is to be referred: Defence

Possible hearing date(s): May-July

Possible reporting date: 31 July 2026

(signed)

Wendy Askew

Appendix 3

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill: Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Bill 2026

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: Consider in detail

Possible submissions or evidence from: Relevant stakeholders

Committee to which bill is to be referred: Economics

Possible hearing date(s): May-June

Possible reporting date: 17 June 2026

(signed)

Wendy Askew

I move:

That the report be adopted.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the following amendment:

At the end of the motion, add ", and:

(a) the provisions of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 be referred to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 June 2026; and

(b) the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026 not be referred to a committee.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the amendment circulated in the chamber standing in the name of Senator McKim:

At the end of the motion, add:

"and, in respect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 6 August 2026".

Let's be really clear about what is happening here. Labor is proposing to send the NDIS bill to inquiry. It's the most significant change to the National Disability Insurance Scheme in its history. It's legislation that will enable $185 billion to be ripped out of the scheme over a decade. It's the largest cut made by a government to a government program in the history of the Commonwealth. That's what this legislation will do, and they are seeking to send it to an inquiry that will report by 16 June. That is ridiculous.

Let me be really clear about what that will mean for the people who will be affected by this legislation. It means that there will be 20 working days to review this piece of legislation. Let's be real. Out of those 20 days, only 11 are non-parliamentary workdays for this Senate to review this legislation. And now I hear that we may not even get a meeting of the committee to set out the agenda for this inquiry for another week, which would scrub another three days off the potential period of time that people would have to scrutinise this legislation, to understand what it may mean for them and to be able to share their view on the legislation that will shape their lives. This is outrageous and it is wrong. Fellow senators, this is wrong. These cuts are immoral. This is not what you were elected to do—to cause this harm, to cause this pain, to put these lives at risk, to leave the community in the dark without the answers that they need or the time to get those answers.

I would be happy if this bill went to an inquiry permanently and never passed this chamber. However, we put forward this amendment today as a compromise that would see the inquiry report in August, giving at least some sensible amount of time to engage disabled people, to enable proper hearings and to enable people to make submissions to the inquiry so that we can understand the legislation that we will then be asked to pass. This is a basic expectation of the community. This amendment is reasonable, and in this situation you'd better believe it is necessary. I urge you to support this amendment today.

Many in this place may not have a lived experience of disability, but I do hope that the majority of us have not lost our capacity for empathy and our commitment to curiosity and a belief that we should understand the laws that we are passing and the impacts that they will have on people. One hundred and sixty thousand people now face removal from the NDIS, with $185 billion ripped from this scheme by a government that cannot bring itself to ask the big gas exporters or wealthy end of town to pay a cent more.

This legislation dumped today at the end of a parliamentary sitting week is already proving to be the vessel for terrifying changes for disabled people, for the redefinition of what disability itself means in the eyes of the government, and the provision to the minister of vast new powers that will give government control over the lives of disabled people and our families, that will strip agency from our hands, that will reduce our choices. I urge you to put aside your party affiliations in this moment, connect with your humanity and vote for this amendment.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the amendment moved by Senator Steele-John's. The number of times we hear people say 'nothing about us, without us' and 'we will not do anything to disabled people without engaging them in a codesigned process', and here is the government proposing to make the biggest change to the NDIS by shutting out disabled people and not allowing them to have a say. Shame on you! And to the other members of this chamber: if you genuinely believe that people with a disability have a right to have a say in their care, you will support this amendment too.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment standing in the name of Senator McKim and moved by Senator Steele-John be agreed to.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I now intend to go to the amendment as moved by Minister Gallagher. Senator Duniam, I understand you wanted to split that amendment.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's correct.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So we'll firstly deal with (a) of Senator Gallagher's amendment. The question is that part (a) of Minister Gallagher's amendment be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

The question now is that part (b) of the amendment as moved by Minister Gallagher be agreed to.