Small business insurance under the microscope

Welcome back.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services holds a public hearing in Sydney today for its Small Business Insurance inquiry. The committee has received over 150 submissions and today's witnesses include the Insurance Council, small business peak bodies, and ASIC.

Also due today: the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee tables its inquiry report on the Review of the National Emergency Declaration Act 2020. This review was triggered by the Act's sunset clause and will determine whether the declaration powers are extended, amended, or allowed to lapse. Relevant if you track emergency management, national security, or constitutional law.

I'm also including a summary of the outcomes from yesterday's events:

The public hearing for the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee's inquiry on offshore processing and resettlement arrangements provided for what the media are calling "explosive" reflections of content referred to in submissions. If you're following this inquiry, I recommend you look at the transcripts.

Key points from the inquiry report tabled by the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's inquiry on the Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026:

• The committee recommends the bill be passed - Two issues not specifically addressed in the report, but called for by industry: whether the main offence under the bill should be limited to commercial-quantity imports to avoid catching consumers who unknowingly buy a fake; the committee left the threshold to ABF discretion; and consideration for poor timing of infringement notices, which could push importers to claim release of goods and force brand owners back into expensive litigation.
• The bill now returns to the Senate for next stage debate.

Reminder: four submission deadlines close on Friday. If you or your organisation has anything open with the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (client privacy, Age Pension, or Land 400 Phase 3) or the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (anti-money laundering amendment), this is your final week.

Until tomorrow!

— Mia