Shadow Portfolio — 23 March 2026

Senator Chandler moved to excise Schedules 1 and 2 from the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation) Bill, drawing a precise line between provisions the Coalition accepts and those it opposes [TA-260323-senate-573d70b7987f:s008]. The amendment targets the superannuation-specific changes in the bill, which the Coalition argues risk creating duplicate accounts, driving up fees, and imposing fresh compliance burdens on employers [TA-260323-senate-573d70b7987f:s008].

The Coalition's stated position is that the government is advancing the superannuation elements too quickly, a legislative-pace argument that frames the opposition as procedural rather than substantive opposition to superannuation choice reform in principle.

The amendment strategy is surgically calibrated. The Coalition explicitly supports the bill's remaining components — tax exemptions associated with hosting the Men's Rugby World Cup, implementation of the Australia-Portugal double-tax treaty, and an increased wine equalisation tax producer rebate cap — and structured its amendment to allow those elements to proceed [TA-260323-senate-573d70b7987f:s008].

This approach lets the Coalition present itself as a constructive legislator on uncontested provisions while isolating the superannuation schedules as the contested ground. Policy staff should note this as a recurring Coalition Senate tactic: accepting omnibus bill elements selectively to avoid being characterised as blocking broadly supported measures.