Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (16:05): I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill, and I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted.

The speech read as follows— Today I am pleased to introduce the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025, which has come before the Senate. The Bill is an important step in the ongoing improvement of Australia's regulatory environment. Regulation affects all Australians, all businesses, and all corners of our society.

I see this every day in my role as the Minister for Government Services. I understand how even small tweaks to a regulatory setting can deliver real benefits to the Australians who rely on those services. The Productivity Commission and the Government's Economic Reform Roundtable have proven that well-balanced regulation is a key enabler of growth in the Australian economy.

We also know that regulations provide essential safeguards and protections upon which all Australians rely. I am committed to working across the Government to ensure that our regulatory settings will achieve the best of both productivity and protection. I am confident this Bill is a significant step towards that balance.

It reflects a comprehensive effort across every policy and regulatory agency in the Commonwealth to identify measures that will make a meaningful difference for how Australians access government services and provide real opportunities for productivity boosts to the Australian economy. Firstly, the Bill will support the implementation of a 'tell us once' approach within Services Australia, reducing the number of times Australians are asked to provide the same information across its programs.

I am keenly aware that asking Australians to tell their stories over again to access services can often add stress to already stressful situations. Successfully establishing a 'tell us once' approach, both within Services Australia and across other government services, will be a long-term journey of continuous change and improvement. This Bill is a key step forward for this journey.

Secondly, the Bill will improve or maintain access to government services. The Bill includes several measures that will support access to payments and services including the Additional Child Care Subsidy (child wellbeing) payment, medical imaging services and pathology services. I know that many Australians rely on these services in their day-to-day lives.

I am determined that red tape should not make accessing these services harder than it needs to be. Thirdly, the Bill will reduce the regulatory burden on Australians and on industry. The Bill contains measures to deal with different kinds of regulatory burden.

For example, legislation mandating the use of physical documents can prevent the use of easier, quicker digital options. The current marriage law requires a couple to have access to physical documents so that the marriage celebrant can verify their identity before solemnising the marriage. Digital technologies are evolving.

As a first step, the Bill will prepare the marriage law for the future by allowing marriage celebrants to adopt suitable, secure digital options for identity verification when they become available. These digital options would be prescribed in future regulations. Finally, the Bill will work to increase government efficiency and improve productivity.

Since coming to office, the Government has been committed to finding opportunities to do things better. Every minute and dollar saved allows us to devote more time and resources to deliver the services upon which Australians rely. The Bill will affect the operations of multiple agencies and allow them to find more efficiencies in how they work.

It will repeal redundant legislation that is no longer necessary. It will increase consistency across legislation that applies to social security and payments to veterans. It will also bolster the Government's power to respond to shortages of critical fuels by giving the relevant Minister the power to approve a temporary reduction in the stockpiles of fuel an entity is required to hold.

This amendment will empower the Government to take appropriate action to ensure critical services are not disrupted by a fuel shortage. I am pleased to say that this is only the beginning of the Government's plans to overhaul outdated or inefficient regulations to unlock Australia's full potential for productivity and economic growth. This Government intends that this Bill will be the first in a series of regulatory reform omnibus bills that will continue the important work of getting the balance right.

We are determined to capitalise on the success of this Bill. We know that regulatory reform provides opportunities to boost productivity and economic growth into the future. We know that there is more work to do to ensure that Australia's regulatory environment is fit-for-purpose.

I am proud to say the journey begins here. I commend this Bill to the Senate. Debate adjourned.

Ordered that the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for a later hour.