Selection of Bills Committee

Tony Sheldon

I present the first 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. 1 OF 2026

5 February 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. 1 OF 2026

1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 at 7.22 pm.

1. The committee recommends that—

(a) the provisions of the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 March 2026 (see appendix 1 for statements of reasons for referral),

(b) the provisions of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 February 2026 (see appendix 2 for statements of reasons for referral),

(c) the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 25 June 2026 (see appendix 3 for statements of reasons for referral), and

(d) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 March 2026 (see appendix 4 for statements of reasons for referral).

1. The committee recommends that the following bill not be referred to committees:

1. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:

1. The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement:

(Tony Sheldon)

Chair

5 February 2026

Appendix 1

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025

Originated in the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26 November 2025

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

To scrutinize 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):

FEBRUARY TO MARCH 2026

Possible reporting date:

16 March 2026

(signed) Wendy Askew

Appendix 2

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Independence and accountability of Commissioner

Scope of inquiry powers granted

Family inclusion and accessibility provisions

Possible submissions or evidence from:

RSL

Department of Veterans Affairs AMA

Families of veterans guild Julie Anne Finney

Women in defence association

The National Servicemen's Association Defence Force Welfare Association Trojans Trek

GO2 Health

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

FADT

Possible hearing date(s):

23 April

Possible reporting date:

7 May

(signed) Nick McKim

Appendix 3

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Impact of the job-ready graduates fee hikes, possible policy alternatives to current student and Commonwealth contribution levels, concern of students and sector over cost of degrees

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Universities Australia, Innovative Research Universities, Regional University Network, Australian Academy of Humanities, National Union of students, National Tertiary Education Union, Group of Eight

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Education & Employment Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

Early May (noting a number of ongoing EEC inquiries)

Possible reporting date:

Thursday 25 June 2026

Nick McKim

Appendix 4

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025

Originated in the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26 November 2025

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

To scrutinize 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):

FEBRUARY TO MARCH 2026

Possible reporting date:

4 March 2026

(signed) Wendy Askew

I move:

That the report be adopted.

Katy Gallagher

I move:

At the end of the motion, add ", and the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024 not be referred to a committee".

The government's view is that this doesn't need to be referred to a committee and that there has been plenty of time for these issues to be examined and further examined. The committees have a number of references that are currently before them. I don't think that another reference of this order needs to be sent to the committee. There is plenty of work that has gone into this issue and been examined by the Senate, and I hope that we are able to get support for that amendment.

Sarah Hanson-Young

At the request of Senator McKim, I move:

Omit "not be referred to a committee", substitute "be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 29 June 2026".

Frankly, the gall of this government to block a bill that implements the previous recommendations of a Labor committee to put a ban on gambling advertising is just outrageous. This government seems to have forgotten everything it stands for. The government had made a previous commitment to reform gambling advertising in this country. Yet, three years down the track, they have done nothing. Today, they are in this chamber blocking a bill that does what they have previously called for from going to a proper legislative inquiry to make sure it does what it says it should do. I heard the argument from the minister that there's already been enough time spent on this issue. Yes, there has—but we still see nothing from the government.

Because the government has not acted, the Greens are. Because the government haven't done what they said they would do, it's been up to us in the Australian Greens to draft the legislation and put it to the chamber. When you're serious about getting a piece of legislation passed in the Senate, you put it to a legislative inquiry to make sure it does all the things that it needs to do. That is the purpose. It is proper governance. It's proper scrutiny. It's proper governing, something that this government could take a few lessons on. The whole idea of this gambling advertising amendment bill is to put a ban on gambling advertising, because we know that this is what's needed if we want to stop the suffering and to stop lives and families being destroyed by the insidious gambling industry.

There is nothing in this bill that says you're not allowed to gamble, by the way. It just says the big gambling industry can't advertise it, just like big tobacco can't advertise, because they're trying to sell a dangerous product. There is nothing more dangerous to so many Australian families, particularly young people and young men, than the insidious, harmful advertising that is thrust down their throats by the gambling industry. There are inducements that young people get on their mobile phones—even if they're known gambling addicts—begging them to get back on and have another bet.

The only people who want to stop this bill from going to an inquiry and then passing this parliament are the people making money off gambling addicts: the greedy, nasty parasites in the gambling industry. And who's doing their dirty work for them? Who's been the shill for the gambling industry? It's the Labor Party. Of course, when we move on these motions and they go to a vote today, we will see the Liberal Party doing exactly the same thing. I don't have much time for Peter Dutton—I don't have much time for him at all—but, at one point in time, he actually thought curbing advertising from the gambling industry was a good idea. Now, the Liberal Party seem to have forgotten that that was even a party policy. Why? Because the gambling industry pays millions of dollars in donations to both the Labor and Liberal parties. They have them by the neck, and the Labor and Liberal parties are as addicted to the gambling industry as some of the gambling addicts who desperately need help.

It's the Labor Party and the Liberal Party who are addicted to the gambling industry's money and to the greed of the gambling industry. If you want to take money off people who suck money out of the pockets of everyday Australians and feed off their misery, at least admit that's what you're doing.

Long debate text truncated.