Selection of Bills Committee

Report No. 6 of 2025

The Senate adopted the report. The recommendations of the report were agreed to, with amendments on Thursday, 4 September 2025.

  1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 3 September 2025 at 7.11pm.
  2. The committee recommends that —
    1. the provisions of the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025 and the Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 24 October 2025;
    2. the provisions of the Defence Amendment (Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 October 2025 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral);
    3. the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Board of Management Functions) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 23 October 2025 (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral); and
    4. the provisions of the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 21 October 2025 (see appendix 3 for a statement of reasons for referral).
  3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:
    • Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020
    • Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025
  4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:
    • Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
    • Broadcasting Services Amendment (Audio Description) Bill 2019
    • Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024
    • Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill 2024
    • Competition and Consumer Amendment (Make Price Gouging Illegal) Bill 2024
    • Constitution Alteration (Right to Free Speech) 2025
    • Copyright Legislation Amendment (Fair Pay for Radio Play) Bill 2023
    • Crimes Amendment (Repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentences) Bill 2025
    • Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021
    • Digital ID Repeal Bill 2024
    • Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2025
    • Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fair Territory Representation) Bill 2024
    • Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fairer Contracts and Grants) Bill 2023
    • Electoral Legislation Amendment (Lowering the Voting Age) Bill 2023
    • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill 2022
    • Fair Work Amendment (Paid Reproductive Health Leave and Flexible Work Arrangements) Bill 2025
    • Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025
    • Higher Education Support Amendment (End Dirty University Partnerships) Bill 2025
    • Housing Australia Amendment (Accountability) Bill 2025
    • Housing Investment Probity Bill 2024
    • Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Amendment (Consideration of UNDRIP) Bill 2023
    • Landholders’ Right to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2015
    • Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill 2025
    • National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024
    • Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment Bill 2025
    • Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Ban Unethical Contractors) Bill 2025
    • Right to Protest Bill 2025
    • Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Responding to Robodebt) Bill 2025 [No. 2]
    • Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment (Frontline Emergency Service Workers) Bill 2025
    • Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025
  5. The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement:
    • Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025
    • Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025
    • Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024

(Lisa Darmanin)
Chair
4 September 2025

At the end of the motion, add “and, in respect of:

  1. “and, in respect of the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 3 December 2025”;and
  2. “but, in respect of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 24 November 2025”.
  • Senator Lisa Darmanin (Acting Government Whip, Chair)
  • Senator Wendy Askew (Opposition Whip)
  • Senator Pauline Hanson (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Whip)
  • Senator Nick McKim (Australian Greens Whip)
  • Senator Ralph Babet
  • Senator Leah Blyth
  • Senator Ross Cadell
  • Senator the Hon. Anthony Chisholm
  • Senator Jessica Collins
  • Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher
  • Senator Jacqui Lambie
  • Senator Fatima Payman
  • Senator David Pocock
  • Senator Tony Sheldon (Government Whip)
  • Senator Lidia Thorpe

Secretary: Tim Bryant
02 6277 3020