Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Cabinet Secretary, Senator Sinodinos, representing the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. Can the Cabinet Secretary update the Senate on what the government is doing to make it easier for business in Australia and to create jobs?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator from Western Australia for her question and for her interest in promoting jobs in Australia. Removing red tape and reducing barriers to entry leads to a stronger economy and a strong economy leads to jobs and growth for all Australians. In this term of government we will be building on our initiatives in the first term, where we reduced red tape by at least $1 billion a year by tackling unnecessary regulation and by particularly looking at the compliance and the paperwork burden. But in this term we are lifting our sights and looking more broadly at measures that promote productivity, reduce barriers to growth and, importantly, also promote competition. So we have a three-part strategy. The first part, announced by the Treasurer, is the Harper review competition policy, which is now the subject of discussion with the states. There will be a Commonwealth-state agreement around promoting productivity and growth at the state level in particular, and the possibility of competition payments, along the lines of the Hilmer review, in order to encourage higher competition and more growth.

Complementary to that, there will be the Business Simplification Initiative, which will be a national initiative that will also involve the states and territories. At the Business Council of Australia annual dinner the Prime Minister announced that we had struck a landmark agreement with all state and territory governments for this initiative, which will address the complexity of dealing with the three levels of government in Australia. It will reduce the complexity of regulation for business and make dealing with government at all levels easier. We are now working with the states and territories to identify priority areas for regulatory reform. Already, a number of priorities have been identified. In Queensland they have identified agriculture, manufacturing and hospitality. In Western Australia, quicker and more streamlined ecotourism approvals— (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the Cabinet Secretary also advise the Senate what progress has been made to deliver the National Business Simplification Initiative?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The response from ministers and jurisdictions has actually been very positive. Ministers and officials are now working together on initiatives flowing from Victoria's small business regulation review, including work to increase alignment of the information provided on business.vic.gov.au and business.gov.au, and supporting the Queensland government to progress the priorities identified in the Red Tape Reduction Advisory Council Report, another initiative to reduce red tape and help businesses to transact more easily with government. This is happening with Labor governments as well as coalition governments across the country. We are working with Western Australia on this 90-day ecotourism regulation review to make running an ecotourism business easier, simplifying food safety auditing requirements in South Australia and streamlining regulations to make it easier to start and run a nature based tourism business in Tasmania.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Reynolds, a final supplementary question?

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the Cabinet Secretary also advise the Senate what other innovation initiatives are being pursued by the coalition government?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The single online business registration service is a collaborative project between the tax office, the Treasury, ASIC and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. It will make it easier for businesses to complete their business and tax registration by providing a single site that allows registration to be completed within a single process.

The opposition should be excited about these sorts of initiatives. They are making it easier to do business in Australia and to keep jobs in Australia. If we make dealing with regulation in Australia easier, we will attract jobs overseas as well. President-elect Trump has announced that one of his first 100-day initiatives is reducing regulation. Well, we have to be in the field. We better make sure we are keeping those jobs in Australia and that they are not being attracted to overseas jurisdictions. Business registration will be easier. It will be seamless. There will be a single website and it will in time cover state and territory governments as well. (Time expired)