Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Prime Minister for Social Inclusion) Share this | Hansard source

in reply—In summing up debate on the National Measurement Amendment Bill 2008, I would like to thank Senator Abetz for his comments. Of course, we all recognise that there are many things that we undertake in the parliament that are way beyond politics, and this is one of those. This is about setting a framework for a national system of trade measurement, and its intent is to replace each of the current state and territory based systems.

In a seamless national economy it makes no sense for our trade measurement system, a system which underpins commercial transactions across Australia and into our export markets, to be regulated by nine different jurisdictions. That is rail gauge economics and it belongs in the last century, or even the century before. It is what the government has been working so hard to change through the Council of Australian Governments’ Business Regulation and Competition Working Group, which is co-chaired by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. This national system that we have debated today builds on the experience of state and territory administrations, and it will remove current inconsistencies and definitely will help to reduce business costs. It will allow Australia to adopt the new technologies and processes that will help our industries to actually compete better internationally. The National Measurement Institute will be responsible for administering the new national trade measurement system and will offer employment to inspectors and others who are currently working in trade measurement in the states and territories.

The bill is the product of a COAG decision in February 2006. As I said, some things are beyond party politics. COAG identified trade measurement as a priority hot spot reform area where overlapping and inconsistent regulatory regimes were impeding economic activity. The bill has been developed through industry consultation and supported by a legislative working group of state and territory officials convened by the National Measurement Institute. It lays the basis for a new national system of trade measurement, which will provide a level playing field across Australia for all transactions that are based on measurement. I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.