James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

An unfortunate truth from COVID-19 is that generous government payments like JobKeeper and JobSeeker will need to be reduced in order to increase incentive, kickstart job growth and restore the economy. These initiatives are playing a crucial role in the national recovery. However, as things improve in Victoria it's time that all levels of government start initiating the recovery by implementing the policies that will drive jobs and economic growth.

Earlier this year, I spoke in the Senate and proposed that if we were to learn anything from COVID-19 it is that our nation needs to get very serious about balancing the budget and paying down debt. In light of that, I called for the government, and all governments, to focus our regulatory reform agenda and to focus on cutting the red and green tape that burdens so many of these hardworking mum-and-dad businesses.

In August 2020, getting small business back into business is one of the most crucial components of our recovery. It is immensely clear that the private sector has borne the brunt of the economic shortfall arising from COVID-19. The ABS reports that over 230,000 small businesses are expected to close, which will result in approximately half a million permanent jobs removed from the economy. Pulling out of the storm that is COVID-19 will be difficult but not impossible. There is no reason why our economy cannot recover to where we were before through targeted and responsible measures to grow the economy—none more so than in cutting the inefficient, ineffective and burdensome red and green tape that is holding back thousands of Australian businesses.

The first step to cutting red tape is to audit every department at state, local or whatever levels to identify the number of regulatory burdens and, most importantly, the extent of their effect on Australian businesses. From here, all governments must adopt a stewardship approach to deregulation, where every minister and their departmental heads are tasked with reducing the number of regulatory impacts. The success of this plan relies on putting the responsibility on the top of the departments. By doing so, governments can begin to remove the deepest-rooted and re-emerging regulation and not just the low-hanging, easy-to-cut fruit.

Not only will ministers be responsible for their departments cutting red tape; their responsibility should extend to routinely updating the parliament, assembly or council on their progress. This will ensure that the deregulation agenda becomes the new business as usual by ensuring the focus on cutting red tape will not only reduce inefficient and ineffective regulation; it will ensure that government gets out of the way of Australian business.