Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to the Omnibus Repeal Day (Spring 2015) Bill 2015. It is not a fancy or glamorous bill—in fact, some might consider it to be quite boring. But the member for Hunter's contribution certainly was not boring! Seriously, though, when it comes to taking action on the reduction of red tape, excitement is not the priority—making life easier for people is. That is what this bill, just like the other three omnibus repeal bills preceding it, is all about. This bill is a whole-of-government initiative to amend or repeal legislation across 14 portfolios.

The bill, as with the intent of the previous omnibus repeal bills, introduces measures to reduce the regulatory burden for businesses, families, individuals and the community sector that are not the subject of individual stand-alone bills. For example, this bill amends the requirement in the Aged Care Act 1997 for approved providers to notify the department within 28 days of any changes to key personnel in circumstances that do not materially affect the approved provider's suitability to be a provider of aged care.

The bill also includes measures that repeal redundant and spent acts and provisions in Commonwealth acts—for example, the Customs (Tariff Concession System Validations) Act 1999 which validated decisions that relied on 40 delegations made in relation to tariff concession orders; this act has no operation in relation to decisions made after June 1999 and, therefore, is obsolete. Then there are provisions in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 which are redundant now that the Special Broadcasting Service, the SBS, has assumed television production and supply activities previously undertaken by National Indigenous Television Limited.

In total, this bill will repeal 905 Commonwealth acts. Unnecessary regulatory burden is a dead weight on small businesses, and, as a government, it is imperative that we support the local businesses that are essential to the Australian way of life. When our local businesses are free to thrive without worrying about unnecessary regulation and compliance, they have a direct positive impact on their local community. Investing in small business, whether as a consumer or as a government, is proven to boost local economies, support local jobs, encourage a sense of community ownership, utilise local knowledge, embrace regional individuality and uniqueness, and promote the community as a destination. We cannot afford to see small business people swallowed up in red tape, spending more time complying and less time operating their business and spending time with their families. This is why this government is committed to repealing unnecessary and cumbersome regulations and requirements that are nothing but a hindrance to innovation and productivity. Inefficient and unnecessary regulatory compliance depletes business resources, drives down the bottom line and is a dead weight on the Australian economy.

The Assistant Minister for Productivity, the Hon. Dr Peter Hendy, announced, at the introduction of this bill, that the government has achieved double the targeted savings derived from red-tape-reduction announcements, saving $4.5 billion annually in the first two years. This is an enormous achievement and a massive saving. For one dollar added to the cost of regulation, the government's implementation of regulatory reform has cut over $11.

We are committed to streamlining or simplifying operations where Australians interact with the government to help them spend less time filling out forms and standing in queues. The government has continued to investigate how and why we impose regulations, and we take a genuine look at how they directly impact Australians as they go about life and conduct business. By taking a thoughtful, consultative and innovative approach to red tape, we are chipping away at cumbersome, outdated and time-consuming regulations where we can achieve the same outcomes through easier, more convenient means. In our digitally-driven age, we recognise that it is far more convenient for Australians to submit information online or via their smartphones than by filling out endless paper forms and standing in line. By embracing digital technology we are not only helping Australians to have more time for other tasks and activities but also reducing the administrative burden on business owners, professionals and the public who need to interact with government departments and also on the departments themselves. A simple example of this is the new tax tool included with the ATO app called myDeductions, which means that Australians can now get rid of their old shoeboxes because they will not need to fill them with receipts for tax time. Yes, we can now say, 'Tax receipts—well, there is an app for that.'

The great thing about deregulation is that it has a genuine effect on our local businesses. One such business that has noticed a reduction in red tape for its operations is SpotGo, which is a family owned and operated business in Dobell that manufactures and distributes premium cleaning products. Brendan Small has been operating this family business, which was first established and had a presence in the commercial cleaning industry in 1996, since 2000. The Small family have a long and distinguished Australian heritage all the way back to their arrival in Australia on the Charlotte, one of the ships of the First Fleet. Mr Small has founded a successful commercial cleaning company, followed by a carpet-cleaning business. He worked alongside his father until he took over the reins as sole manager and operator. He was often asked about high-quality carpet spot treatments, and after a number of years he engaged an industrial chemist and began researching and testing, and they developed a premium product. It took around five years, but SpotGo perfected the formula and, since then, has expanded to a five-product-strong range of complementary products. The company is continuing research and development to further expand its range. In fact, its range is now sold at Woolworths and IGA stores throughout New South Wales. SpotGo has developed its products to an outstanding standard and fundamentally believes that Australian manufacturers can be world leaders in quality, and in environmental and safety responsibility. As manufacturers who specialise in creating cleaning products, they are familiar with adhering to regulations and standards. Further deregulation will provide them with more time and more freedom to focus on fostering the successful business they have built and to continue their research and development.

In Dobell, small business is our greatest and strongest employment sector, with over 8,000 small businesses within the electorate. I strongly support small business and the individuals and families who give everything they have to make a go of it. For many, their small business is an all-in investment that determines their ability to pay the mortgage, put their kids through school and enrol them in sport, pay the bills and put food on the table. They understand the pressure of paying wages and taxes and, of course, the cost of adhering to regulations. Through deregulation, the government is actively working to reduce these burdens and create a marketplace that supports small business and encourages growth.

We have seen growth in Australia in the past two decades with extraordinary economic expansion. In many respects, our regulatory systems and checks have not kept pace with this growth. This has, unfortunately, resulted in some regulatory frameworks becoming cumbersome and inhibitive. We want to ensure that we do not stunt the growth of Australian industries and business. This portion of repeals is not only beneficial to small businesses, however; it also removes redundant legislation and reduces red tape across the delivery of social services—taxation, the environment, education and training, health and aged care.

As our population ages, the government is removing administrative and compliance regulations that are unnecessary and simply inhibit the delivery of aged-care services by abolishing the requirement to use administrator adviser panels. These panels provide a list of consultants approved by the Department of Social Services to assist sanctioned providers to return to and maintain compliance with their responsibilities under aged-care legislation. The government recognises and acknowledges that aged-care providers have the knowledge and experience to make certain determinations based on what they need. So not only are they now going to be able to reduce time and costs expended; they will also benefit by having the autonomy to meet their specific needs. The Department of Health estimates that this will lead to annual savings of $5 million in compliance costs—funds that are better directed to patient care. Dobell has a high demand for aged care, with the number of residents over the age of 65 projected to grown by 32 per cent over the next 10 years. I am pleased that the government is taking steps to alleviate compliance and regulatory burdens on our aged-care providers.

This bill, being the fourth omnibus repeal day bill, is evidence of this government's commitment to simplify life for Australian individuals, businesses, and government departments and agencies. This government has a proven record in supporting the delivery of goods and services, entrepreneurship, innovation and market trade, and it will continue to do so. I thank the Assistant Minister for Productivity for his work on this bill. I commend this bill to the House.

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