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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1512 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

It is for this reason that the Government has put in place a number of significant measures to slash red tape and to rationalise the myriad of regulations that have accumulated over the years. I must emphasise that the Government recognises that some regulation is essential. Good regulation is critical to ensuring, for example, that goods and services meet the standards of health, safety and quality we all expect and demand. The Government believes that high standards and minimal red tape and regulation are not mutually exclusive. It should be a simple process to set up and run a business in a manner that meets required standards. To help tell us how best to do this, the Government commissioned the Red Tape Task Force, chaired by Elizabeth Whitelaw, in 1995. That task force reported in October 1995, and in February 1996 the Government embraced the recommendations of the task force. Since that time, the Government has been implementing those recommendations.

The change in the regulatory culture of the ACT Public Service brought about by the Government's implementation of the Red Tape Task Force report has benefited businesses in many ways. It has increased business access to succinct, user-friendly information about regulations, which is so critical for the smooth operation of businesses in the ACT. ACT businesses now have direct electronic access to ACT laws and programs for business through ACT Law Net. This service, one of the first of its kind in Australia, takes the pain out of locating and deciphering the various legal and technical requirements that businesses are obliged to meet in the ACT. ACT Law Net has grown to be one of the largest government collections of Australian legal information available on the Internet.

Business is now able to have direct input into the quality of Government on-line services through the On-Line Services Group. The group provides advice to the Government on how to improve the delivery of its electronic information. In these days of the information superhighway, government must be able to deliver compatible, up-to-date electronic information to businesses quickly. Prospective business people will have access to a greatly improved business licence information service, ACT BLIS, which will be relocated from New South Wales to Canberra. ACT BLIS has been operating under the auspices of the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading since May 1992. The service, which provides information on licence requirements, is underutilised, and many ACT businesses seem to be unaware of the services it provides. For this reason, the Government has set aside funds in the budget to upgrade and market ACT BLIS. The Government will transfer the service to Canberra by early 1998.

The quality of information provided to business on regulatory requirements has improved and will continue to improve. For example, streamlined standard training agreements and improved guidelines to assist training providers in the accreditation and registration process have been produced. Business-oriented, user-friendly information packages on the Food Act have been produced. Businesses can now meet their tax obligations in a more timely and efficient manner as a result of improved, more user-friendly and concise information sheets and booklets on taxes - that is if taxes can be friendly. The child-care licence application form has been modified and written in simple, plain English. A single, user-friendly liquor licence renewal form has replaced the multitude of forms previously required. Agencies are now obliged, as part of their annual regulatory plan cycle, to review the quality of explanatory material on regulatory requirements they provide to business.

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