Figures Show Ever Growing Red Tape Burden on Business and Community Groups

New figures show that Bradfield businesses and community groups are dealing with more red tape than ever before, said Paul Fletcher, Member for Bradfield.Since the start of 2008, 18,089 additional regulations have been created by the Rudd/Gillard Government, including 1,311 new regulations this year.

“As I get around the electorate of Bradfield, speaking to business operators, community groups and others, I invariably hear that red tape is getting worse”, said Mr Fletcher. 

“This adds to the difficulties which small businesses are already feeling - in retail and other sectors, sales are flat, confidence is low and the carbon tax is about to weigh down the economy even further.

"The growing red tape burden makes a bad situation 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  Instead, since 2007, 18,000 regulations have been added and only 86 regulations have been repealed.”

Mr Fletcher noted that the Productivity Commission had estimated that Australia could capture a prize worth up to $12 billion a year through comprehensively cutting back on red tape.

“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.

"I invite people in Bradfield to contact me with ideas for red tape savings that the Coalition’s Deregulation Taskforce should explore," Mr Fletcher concluded.