Senate Opens Winter Week 4 With Tax Reform Bills First on Monday; Workplace Relations Bill Closes Four-Day Program

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet^{[1]Draft legislation program - Senate (Winter Week 4, June 22–25, 2026)Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet · pmc.gov.au“Draft Senate Weekly Legislation Program for Winter Week 4 (22–25 June 2026) — released June 17, 2026”} released the draft Senate legislative program for Winter Week 4 (June 22–25, 2026)^{[1]Draft legislation program - Senate (Winter Week 4, June 22–25, 2026)Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet · pmc.gov.au“Draft Senate Weekly Legislation Program for Winter Week 4 (22–25 June 2026) — released June 17, 2026”} on June 17, laying out the most detailed public picture yet of what the Albanese government intends to move through the upper house before the July 2 winter recess deadline.

When does the Tax Reform Bill hit the Senate floor?

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 and its companion Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 are listed as the first Government Business items on Monday, June 22^{[2]Draft Legislation Program — Senate: 2026 Winter Sittings of Parliament: Week 4 (22–25 June)Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet · pmc.gov.au“Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 listed as first Government Business Monday 22 June, both marked #^; Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 listed for Thursday 25 June, marked #^”}, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Both bills carry two conditional flags in the draft schedule: #, indicating the bills must be formally introduced into the Senate (first reading in the upper house has not yet occurred), and ^, indicating they are "subject to tabling of committee report."

The Senate Economics Legislation Committee's report on the bills — with a formal reporting date of June 19 — is expected to be tabled during the Monday morning documents session before any floor debate on the CGT and negative gearing legislation can commence. The Australian Taxation Office has confirmed the measures remain "not yet law"^{[5]Tax reform – Boosting home ownership – Reforming negative gearing and capital gains taxAustralian Taxation Office · ato.gov.au“This measure is not yet law.”} as of the current sitting period.

The Treasurer's package would abolish the 50% CGT discount for individuals and trusts from July 1, 2027, replacing it with CPI indexation and a 30% minimum tax, while limiting negative gearing on residential property to new builds. The bills passed the House of Representatives on June 4^{[3]Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 – Parliament of AustraliaParliament of Australia · aph.gov.au“Bill passed the House of Representatives June 4, 2026; now awaiting Senate consideration”} without amendment, using Labor's 94-seat majority. A third bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift) Bill 2026, is paired on Monday with the same #^ flags.

What is the full four-day schedule?

What is the Workplace Relations bill, and why is it contested?

The Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 was introduced by Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth on June 3^{[6]Reforms to bolster the Fair Work Commission – Ministers' Media CentreDepartment of Employment and Workplace Relations · ministers.dewr.gov.au“Under the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 to be introduced into Federal Parliament on 3 June, the Commission will be able to dispense with the requirement for costly and time-consuming hearings into jurisdictional matters before dealing with certain dismissal-related disputes”} to address a surge in Fair Work Commission applications driven by AI-enabled self-represented litigants, following a public call for reform by FWC President Justice Adam Hatcher in February 2026.

According to Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer's analysis of the bill, key measures include: dispensing with pre-conciliation jurisdictional hearings; allowing determination of disputes on written submissions alone with the parties' consent; barring repeat applicants whose claims have been dismissed as frivolous; extending the Commission's dismissal power to unmeritorious gig economy unfair deactivation claims; and delegating certification powers to senior staff^{[7]Australia: New legislation to address AI and the Fair Work Commission's caseload challengeHerbert Smith Freehills Kramer · hsfkramer.com“The Bill responds to a sustained increase in Fair Work Commission lodgments, driven largely by the use of AI tools by self-represented litigants. Key measures include dispensing with jurisdictional hearings, determination on the papers, barring repeat applicants, dismissal of unmeritorious gig economy claims, delegation of certification power.”}.

A separate provision — which has drawn the most industry criticism — enables the Commonwealth to preference employers whose workers are covered by enterprise agreements in government procurement decisions.

"This would give unions effective control over where taxpayer money goes. It is being introduced against every lesson the country has learned from the recent CFMEU investigations."

Bran Black, Business Council of Australia Chief Executive

Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black said the procurement provision was "an integrity problem that should alarm every Australian business and taxpayer"^{[8]Business Council sounds alarm as government rewrites procurement rules to create corruption riskBusiness Council of Australia · bca.com.au“This would give unions effective control over where taxpayer money goes. It is being introduced against every lesson the country has learned from the recent CFMEU investigations”}. The Housing Industry Association called for the bill to be referred to a parliamentary committee for "thorough review and proper scrutiny," saying it had been tabled with "no prior consultation with industry" and "contains wide-ranging reforms with significant implications for the residential construction industry, procurement frameworks, workforce costs and the capacity of builders to deliver the homes Australians need"^{[9]Rushed Workplace Bill demands greater parliamentary scrutinyHousing Industry Association · hia.com.au“This Bill is being sold as a modest administrative tidy-up of the Fair Work Commission. It is not. It contains wide-ranging reforms with significant implications for the residential construction industry, procurement frameworks, workforce costs and the capacity of builders to deliver the homes Australians need.”}.

The bill's #^ flag on Thursday's program indicates it is also subject to a committee report before it can be debated on the Senate floor. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations^{[6]Reforms to bolster the Fair Work Commission – Ministers' Media CentreDepartment of Employment and Workplace Relations · ministers.dewr.gov.au“Under the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 to be introduced into Federal Parliament on 3 June, the Commission will be able to dispense with the requirement for costly and time-consuming hearings into jurisdictional matters before dealing with certain dismissal-related disputes”} did not respond to a request for comment on the industry criticisms before publication.

What is in the omnibus tax bill scheduled for Tuesday?

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System) Bill 2026 was introduced March 25, 2026, and the Senate Economics Legislation Committee recommended it be passed on April 30, 2026^{[4]Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System) Bill 2026 – Bills Digest No. 56, 2025-26Parliament of Australia / Parliamentary Library · aph.gov.au“The Bill was referred to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry. The Committee reported on 30 April 2026, recommending that the Bill be passed. Introduced 25 March 2026.”}. The bill covers: removing the $2 minimum threshold for charitable donations to be tax-deductible, effective retrospectively from July 1, 2024; streamlining TFN reporting for closely held trust beneficiaries; minor SMSF Public Trustee amendments; and excluding gambling and tobacco activities from the R&D Tax Incentive for income years starting July 1, 2025.

The government subsequently added two further schedules to the bill, incorporating increases to Medicare levy low-income thresholds and an addition to the pension supplement for Australians overseas^{[11]CPA Australia Tax News — 11 June 2026CPA Australia · cpaaustralia.com.au“CPA Australia has called on the Senate Economics Legislation Committee to recommend that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 not proceed in its current form. The submission makes eight specific asks including release of the transitional apportionment method instrument by 1 October 2026 and a statutory independent review commencing no later than 1 July 2029. The government added two more schedules to Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System) Bill 2026, including increases to Medicare levy low-income thresholds and addition of pension supplement while overseas.”}, making it a six-schedule omnibus measure by the time it reaches the Senate floor. The Senate Economics Legislation Committee had recommended passage before those additional schedules were incorporated.

The R&D exclusion in Schedule 4 has attracted criticism from gaming industry participants and other groups who warn it sets a precedent for sector-based exclusions from a historically industry-agnostic incentive.

What does the schedule reveal about Labor's Senate strategy?

By leading with the Tax Reform bills at 10:00 a.m. Monday — the first moment of the sitting period — the Albanese government signals it intends to maximize Senate floor time for the CGT debate before the July 2 recess. With the Coalition firmly opposed, Labor requires crossbench support to pass the Tax Reform legislation^{[12]Senate inquiry launched into Labor's controversial CGT reformsSmartCompany · smartcompany.com.au“With the Coalition firmly against the capital gains tax, negative gearing, and trust reforms contained in the 2026-27 budget, the federal government requires support from the Greens, which holds the balance of power in the Senate.”}. The Greens, who hold 10 of 76 Senate seats, have not announced a deal.

The Australian Industry Group, responding to the government's concession package, warned the CGT reforms would "raise our taxes on capital gains to some of the highest levels in the OECD, while creating perverse incentives that punish investment and innovation," and that the changes "lessen but don't eliminate harm to investment"^{[10]CGT changes lessen but don't eliminate harm to investmentAustralian Industry Group · australianindustrygroup.com.au“The package of CGT reforms before the Parliament will raise our taxes on capital gains to some of the highest levels in the OECD, while creating perverse incentives that punish investment and innovation.”}.

CPA Australia's formal submission to the Senate committee, published June 11, called on the committee to recommend the bill not proceed in its current form, making eight specific asks — including release of the transitional apportionment method instrument by October 1, 2026, and a statutory independent review commencing no later than July 1, 2029^{[11]CPA Australia Tax News — 11 June 2026CPA Australia · cpaaustralia.com.au“CPA Australia has called on the Senate Economics Legislation Committee to recommend that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 not proceed in its current form. The submission makes eight specific asks including release of the transitional apportionment method instrument by 1 October 2026 and a statutory independent review commencing no later than 1 July 2029. The government added two more schedules to Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System) Bill 2026, including increases to Medicare levy low-income thresholds and addition of pension supplement while overseas.”}.

Senator David Pocock's private senators' bill, listed for Thursday, June 25, as TBC, adds a further variable to the week's outcome. In previous sitting periods, Pocock has used private bill slots to advance legislation that tests crossbench relationships with the government.