COMMITTEES
Senator SHELDON (New South Wales—Chief Government Whip in the Senate) (11:15): I present the first report of 2026 of the Selection of Bills Committee. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted.
The report read as follows— Selection of Bills Committee REPORT NO. 1 OF 2026 5 February 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 the Hon. Matt Canavan (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. 1 OF 2026 1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 at 7.22 pm. 2.
The committee recommends that— (a) the provisions of the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 March 2026 (see appendix 1 for statements of reasons for referral), (b) the provisions of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 February 2026 (see appendix 2 for statements of reasons for referral), (c) the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 25 June 2026 (see appendix 3 for statements of reasons for referral), and (d) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 March 2026 (see appendix 4 for statements of reasons for referral). 3.
The committee recommends that the following bill not be referred to committees: Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2025. 4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting: A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Amendment (No Jab No Pay Repeal) Bill 2025 Broadcasting Services Amendment (Audio Description) Bill 2019 Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2025 Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024 Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Banning Dirty Donations) Bill 2026 Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill 2024 Competition and Consumer Amendment (Make Price Gouging Illegal) Bill 2024 Constitution Alteration (Right to Free Speech) 2025 Copyright Legislation Amendment (Fair Pay for Radio Play) Bill 2023 Crimes Amendment (Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Child Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025 Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021 Digital ID Repeal Bill 2024 Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2025 (No. 2) Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fair Territory Representation) Bill 2024 Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fairer Contracts and Grants) Bill 2023 Electoral Legislation Amendment (Lowering the Voting Age) Bill 2023 Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Low Emissions Future) Bill 2025 Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) Bill 2026 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill 2022 Fair Work Amendment (Paid Reproductive Health Leave and Flexible Work Arrangements) Bill 2025 High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 Higher Education Support Amendment (End Dirty University Partnerships) Bill 2025 Housing Australia Amendment (Accountability) Bill 2025 Housing Investment Probity Bill 2024 Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Amendment (Consideration of UNDRIP) Bill 2023 Landholders' Right to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015 Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (New South Wales Local Court) Bill 2026 Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill 2025 Mandatory Regulation Impact Statement Bill 2025 National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026 National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026 National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026 National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024 Plebiscite (Future Migration Level) Bill 2018 Right to Protest Bill 2025 Social Media Minimum Age Repeal Bill 2025 Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Responding to Robodebt) Bill 2025 [No. 2] Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment (Frontline Emergency Service Workers) Bill 2025 Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025 Unlocking Supply of Family Homes Bill 2025. 5.
The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement: Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024. (Tony Sheldon) Chair 5 February 2026 Appendix 1 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 Originated in the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26 November 2025 Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinize this legislation and to hear from stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: Interested parties and stakeholders Committee to which bill is to be referred: Economics Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): FEBRUARY TO MARCH 2026 Possible reporting date: 16 March 2026 (signed) Wendy Askew Appendix 2 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: Independence and accountability of Commissioner Scope of inquiry powers granted Family inclusion and accessibility provisions Possible submissions or evidence from: RSL Department of Veterans Affairs AMA Families of veterans guild Julie Anne Finney Women in defence association The National Servicemen's Association Defence Force Welfare Association Trojans Trek GO2 Health Committee to which bill is to be referred: FADT Possible hearing date(s): 23 April Possible reporting date: 7 May (signed) Nick McKim Appendix 3 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025 Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: Impact of the job-ready graduates fee hikes, possible policy alternatives to current student and Commonwealth contribution levels, concern of students and sector over cost of degrees Possible submissions or evidence from: Universities Australia, Innovative Research Universities, Regional University Network, Australian Academy of Humanities, National Union of students, National Tertiary Education Union, Group of Eight Committee to which bill is to be referred: Senate Education & Employment Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): Early May (noting a number of ongoing EEC inquiries) Possible reporting date: Thursday 25 June 2026 Nick McKim Appendix 4 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025 Originated in the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26 November 2025 Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinize this legislation and to hear from stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: Interested parties and stakeholders Committee to which bill is to be referred: Economics Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): FEBRUARY TO MARCH 2026 Possible reporting date: 4 March 2026 (signed) Wendy Askew Senator SHELDON: I move: That the report be adopted.