Portfolio — 27 May 2026

Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh used two House appearances on 26 May to advance a broad productivity and economic integrity agenda, weaving together budget advocacy, competition policy and business registry reform into a single legislative day.

In the MPI debate, Leigh characterised the Liberal Party as a "dying tribe" and argued it has consistently opposed foundational tax reforms — including uniform income tax, fringe benefits tax, capital gains tax and universal superannuation — framing the 2026 budget as the latest in that reformist tradition [TA-260526-house-fe3d2ac10a60:s037]. He cited three budget measures as central to his portfolio's productivity mission: tax relief for more than 13 million workers with a permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses; national competition policy reforms estimated to add around $13 billion to the economy, or roughly $1,200 per household annually; and free builder access to construction standards saving up to $1,600 per year, combined with modern construction methods projected to cut house costs by 20 per cent and build times by up to 50 per cent [TA-260526-house-fe3d2ac10a60:s037].

He also pointed to a budget measure shortening migrant trade worker entry times by up to six months to ease shortages of electricians, plumbers and carpenters — a supply-side labour measure with direct implications for housing delivery. On tax reform, Leigh highlighted capital gains tax changes designed to tax only real gains by removing the discount, describing the change as fairer for investors.

The cross-portfolio dimension of Leigh's day was explicit: he joined the Treasurer at a Belconnen development site where 315 new units — including social and affordable homes — will be built, and separately met the Housing Minister at the same site to discuss accelerating housing approvals and infrastructure. Both engagements position the productivity and competition portfolio as an active participant in the government's housing supply effort, rather than a peripheral one.

Later in the sitting day, Leigh moved the second reading of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Bill, describing Australia's business registers as critical economic infrastructure [TA-260526-house-fe3d2ac10a60:s096]. The bill's three schedules address distinct vulnerabilities: Schedule 1 embeds the director identification number regime into company registration and reporting to improve director traceability and reduce illegal phoenix activity; Schedule 2 gives ASIC new targeted powers to manage registers in a digital environment, improve data quality and respond to fraud while balancing transparency against privacy; and Schedule 3 removes legacy provisions that would automatically commence and disrupt registry operations, keeping ASIC in charge of the registers.

Leigh explicitly linked the bill to the history of the Modernising Business Registers program, which was paused after a cost overrun, framing the current legislation as the mechanism to ensure that prior investment delivers lasting benefit [TA-260526-house-fe3d2ac10a60:s096].

Across both segments, a consistent thread runs: productivity gains are framed as requiring simultaneous action on competition policy, tax settings, construction regulation, skilled labour supply and digital economic infrastructure. The business registries bill in particular sits at the intersection of Leigh's Treasury and competition responsibilities, and its phoenix activity provisions connect directly to the broader integrity theme the minister has been prosecuting.

The competition policy reform estimated at $13 billion also connects to the recently passed Competition and Consumer Amendment Bill, indicating the portfolio is now moving from legislative reform into budget implementation as the primary vehicle.