Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026; Second Reading

Bell moved an amendment concerning Part 4 of Schedule 1, which would automatically incorporate changes to the Madrid Protocol and Agreement of Nice into Australian law. Bell argued that this process lacked sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and opposed making international agreements binding without suitable legislative processes. Bell proposed referring this part of the bill to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry by 12 October 2026.

Pocock moved an amendment noting that regulatory burdens had grown significantly, with compliance costs rising from $65 billion in 2013 to $160 billion. Pocock argued that incentive structures rewarded new regulation over deregulation and called for measurable reduction targets and senior accountability within departments. Pocock also urged strengthening the independence of the Office of Impact Analysis and expanding the National Productivity Fund.

Grogan put the question on the second reading of the bill to the chamber. Grogan facilitated the final vote on the bill's principles after the previous amendments had been defeated. The motion for the second reading was agreed to by the Senate.