COMMITTEES
Senator SHELDON (New South Wales—Chief Government Whip in the Senate) (11:45): I present the second 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. 2 OF 2026 5 March 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. 2 OF 2026 The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 at 7.14 pm. The committee recommends that— (a) the provisions of the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 15 April 2026 (see appendix 1 for statement of reasons for referral), (b) the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 25 March 2026 (see appendix 2 for statement of reasons for referral), (c) the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 14 May 2026 (see appendices 3 and 4 for statement of reasons for referral), and (d) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Reporting System Reform) Bill 2026 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 24 April 2026 (see appendix 5 for statement of reasons for referral).
The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees: High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 Landholders' Right to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015 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 Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026 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 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 Constitution Alteration (Right to Free Speech) 2025 Copyright Legislation Amendment (Fair Pay for Radio Play) Bill 2023 Crimes Amendment (Repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentences) 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 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 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 Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill 2025 Mandatory Regulation Impact Statement Bill 2025 National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024 Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026 Online Safety Amendment (Broadening Adult Cyber Abuse Protections) Bill 2026 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 (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Imposition Bill 2026 Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment (Frontline Emergency Service Workers) Bill 2025 Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026 Unlocking Supply of Family Homes Bill 2025 5.
The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement. Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 (Tony Sheldon) Chair 4 March 2026 Appendix 1 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 (Originated in the House of Representatives on Thursday 12 February 2026) Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: Interested parties and stakeholders Committee to which bill is to be referred: Community Affairs Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): MARCH-APRIL 2026 Possible reporting date: 15 APRIL 2026 (signed) Print name: Wendy Askew Appendix 2 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment {Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 (Originated in the House of Representatives on Thursday 5 February 2026) Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: Interested parties and stakeholders Committee to which bill is to be referred: Community Affairs Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): MARCH 2026 Possible reporting date: 25 MARCH 2026 (signed) Print name: Wendy Askew Appendix 3 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025 (Originated in the House of Representatives on Thursday 27 November 2025) Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinise this legislation and to hear from stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from: Interested parties and stakeholders Committee to which bill is to be referred: Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s): MARCH-MAY 2026 Possible reporting date: 14 MAY 2026 (signed) Print name: Wendy Askew Appendix 4 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025 Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: to examine detail Possible submissions or evidence from: industry, consumer groups, department Committee to which bill is to be referred: Environment and Communications Possible hearing date(s): April, May Possible reporting date: 14 May 2026 (signed) Print name: Nick McKim Appendix 5 SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE Proposal to refer a bill to a committee Name of bill: Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Reporting System Reform) Bill 2026 (Originated in the House of Representatives on Thursday 12 February 2026) Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration: To scrutinise 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): MARCH-APRIL 2026 Possible reporting date: 16 APRIL 2026 (signed) Print name: Wendy Askew Senator SHELDON: I move: That the report be adopted.