Shadow Portfolio — 14 May 2026

Senator Dave Sharma used 14 May Senate proceedings to signal bipartisan support for a targeted deregulation measure while embedding a sharper attack on Labor's economic agenda. Supporting the Export Control Amendment Bill, Sharma highlighted a 47 percent rise in export cost-recovery charges since 2020 and pushed for full abandonment of the expanded cost-recovery model, not merely the government's 12-month delay.

In separate remarks on the same day, Sharma characterised Labor budget measures affecting start-up founders as de facto nationalisation, quoting directly that the government has "basically gone about nationalising and taking a share of these businesses." The two interventions together position the coalition as the opponent of regulatory and tax burdens on Australian producers and entrepreneurs.