Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Hansard source

As I as saying before question time, there is a need to cut through this government's empty rhetoric about supposed red tape and deregulation and to look always at what is actually proposed. In that regard, the inaugural Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, the eminent Australian lawyer Bret Walker QC in his final report, tabled last week, cut through the government's rhetoric with a few pithy statements about the proposal to abolish his office and the legislation which created his office. He said there was no prior consultation with the INSLM before it was announced that repeal of the INSLM Act would be sought by the government as part of the reduction of red tape. Mr Walker went on to say:

The proposed repeal of the INSLM Act has been explained as “designed to reduce bureaucracy and streamline government” by removing “duplication of responsibilities and between different levels of Government”.

Mr Walker said:

The INSLM is not aware of any other officer, agency or “level” of government doing what Parliament required to be done by the INSLM Act enacted in 2010.

To finish: in case it were not clear, the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor as almost his last act in office had this to say about the government's supposed 'bonfire of red tape':

Given the enacted purposes of the office of INSLM, I dissent from its description as red tape.

It is important to distinguish between the kind of pretence and charade that this government has been engaging in with its supposed bonfire of regulation and real regulatory reform. Unlike the government's false bonfire of regulations, unlike the government's proposal to abolish the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, this Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2014 is real regulatory reform. It is almost identical to the bill which the Labor government introduced in 2012, and the present federal opposition supports it.

Debate adjourned.

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