8000 Pieces of Regulation on the Chopping Block

If you’ve ever ranted about the ridiculous excesses of Government bureaucracy and legislation, you’d be ecstatic to hear that the Coalition government is holding it’s first ‘Red Tape Repeal Day’ tomorrow (Wednesday 19th March).

Whilst a lot of the regulations being repealed are ancient, irrelevant, and rarely encountered, virtually every sector of our society will have some practical benefit from certain repeals – small business, immigration, healthcare, aged care, Government procurement and grants, and the list goes on. In total, the Government claims they will slash 8000 redundant laws and save $1 billion in red tape.

The Small Business Minister Bruce Billson is looking at hot topics like the Personal Property and Securities Act and, other confusing regulations like the classification of a motor vehicle, which can result in ridiculous requirements such as the need to register a stationary concrete mixer. He’s also invited people with “examples of completely nonsensical and over-reaching compliance burdens” to send them to him or nominate them at www.cuttingredtape.gov.au.

The Coalition Government is unashamedly pro-business, and are particularly sympathetic to the plight of small businesses. This is the first step in an agenda to change the culture of Government and the manner in which legislation is introduced. Government Ministers will in future have to provide an assessment of the impact of any proposed new legislation, and Tony Abbott has stated that the Government will continue to have 2 Red Tape Repeal Days each year. As much as the first round of repeals should yield benefits to business owners, a whole-of-Government shift in culture and attitude to the burden of regulatory compliance will have more far reaching and long term benefits.

What crazy legislation, regulations, and bureacracy have you experienced?

 

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Philip Brookes

Philip Brookes

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