Katherine Rich MP
National Party Economic Development Spokeswoman
14 July 2006

National supports real review of business regulation

National supports Business NZ’s call for a real review of regulations that addresses the red tape strangling business, says National’s Economic Development spokeswoman, Katherine Rich.

“The Labour Government’s natural instinct is always to regulate as a first solution when there are often other non-regulatory solutions.

“While pretending to be business friendly, this Government has passed laws and regulations at an alarming rate.

“I am sure the Government will make a waffly statement in response to Business NZ’s call for greater restraint in passing new rules for business and point to it’s recently announced Regulatory Review.

“Lianne Dalziel’s ‘horizontal, vertical, fast-track and in-depth’ review was launched with all the hyperbole of a cheesy motivational video.

“But it immediately showed just how shallow and ineffective it will be by ruling out the big issues concerning business like tax, ACC, the Resource Management Act and labour laws.

“The credibility of the fancy sounding ‘fast track mechanism’ for dealing with regulatory concerns was also dealt a blow when the same Minister told the Commerce Select Committee it was not developed yet and probably only amounted to an omnibus bill - a process that’s been open to the Government for the past seven years.

“Business NZ’s logical call for less regulation will unfortunately fall on deaf ears until there is a National-led Government.”

ENDS

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