Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026

Senator DAVID POCOCK (Australian Capital Territory—Independent ACT Whip) (12:14): I move: At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate: (a) notes that: (i) the Government has signalled that it prioritises right-sizing regulation, (ii) successive governments have repeatedly announced regulatory reform agendas, yet the burden of regulation continues to grow, (iii) according to the Productivity Commission, the number of restrictive terms in legislative instruments has more than doubled since 2006, (iv) the cost of complying with Commonwealth regulation has grown from $65 billion in 2013 to $160 billion today, (v) the incentive structures facing regulators and legislators reward visible new action over the harder, less visible work of removing existing regulation, and that this dynamic will persist unless directly addressed; and (b) calls on the Government to: (i) implement crude but measurable regulatory reduction targets and strategies including offset requirements, (ii) introduce senior accountability within regulators and departments for deregulation including measurable KPIs, (iii) require government departments to prioritise faster decision-making and make ministers accountable for achieving these targets, (iv) strengthen the role of Office of Impact Analysis, including greater independence; and (v) consider expanding the impact of the National Competition Policy through greater funding for the National Productivity Fund".

The PRESIDENT: The question is that the amendment moved by Senator David Pocock be agreed to.