New Figures Confirm Red Tape is Choking Mitchell Small Businesses and Community Groups

Wednesday, 24 May 2012

Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, said new figures have confirmed that Mitchell businesses and community organisations are dealing with more red tape than ever before.

Since the start of 2008, 18,089 additional regulations have been created by the Rudd/Gillard Government, including 1,311 new regulations this year.

“When I talk with shop owners, small business operators, and community and volunteer groups, I am continually told that red tape is getting worse”, said Alex Hawke.

“Red tape is growing and it is choking the life out of local businesses and community groups.

“It is already a difficult time for small business, with retail shops struggling, flat sales, low confidence and a carbon tax only weeks away – and the avalanche of red tape is making it worse.

“18,000 new regulations in just over four and a half years equates to 11 new regulations every day.

“Labor promised when they were elected they would introduce ‘one in, one out”, meaning that new regulations would be matched by repealing others.  Instead, since 2007, 18,000 regulations have been added and only 86 regulations have been repealed.”

Alex Hawke said the Productivity Commission had estimated that the rewards for Australia to cut red tape could be worth up to $12 billion a year.

“The Coalition has established a Deregulation Taskforce, under the leadership of respected Senator Arthur Sinodinos AO, and it will cut red tape by $1 billion a year.

“Areas of red tape already identified include scrapping the carbon tax, simplifying the administration of compulsory employee superannuation contributions; and moving the administration of the national paid parental leave scheme from small businesses to the government’s Family Assistance Office.

“Local businesses and community groups are invited to contact my office at alex.hawke.mp@aph.gov.au to provide details of red tape that the Coalition’s Deregulation Taskforce should consider cutting,” concluded Alex Hawke.