Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

and the sighs of relief are audible! Through COAG, we are working with the states to achieve a more consistent and harmonised national approach to key regulatory issues. On 2 July 2009, COAG reaffirmed its commitment to microeconomic reform and the critical role that the national partnership to deliver a seamless national economy, and its regulatory reform agenda, plays in enabling productivity gains for the future.

At the Commonwealth level, the Minister for Finance and Deregulation is partnering with his ministerial colleagues to deliver regulatory reform in areas of Commonwealth regulatory responsibility. Examples include reducing the length and improving the readability of product disclosure statements for financial products and reviewing health technology assessment arrangements to remove unnecessary costs and facilitate earlier patient access to innovative and cost-effective new health technology. The global economic stresses we have faced and continue to encounter remind us of the importance of delivering microeconomic reform efforts that enhance productivity. A sustained commitment to better regulation is a central tenet of our microeconomic reform agenda. This bill is an important step in delivering on the government’s commitment to continuous improvement in regulation. I commend the bill to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

See this speech in context