• A Tim Nicholls-led LNP Government will make it easier for businesses to get ahead by committing to a 20 per cent red tape reduction target over six years
• The Palaszczuk Labor Government has made it harder to do business by increasing red tape and regulation
• Labor scrapped the LNP’s plan to reduce payroll taxes, they’ve increased regulations in the hospitality, plumbing and resources industries and slugged a new investment tax on the property industry
• The former LNP Government progressed more than 500 red tape reform initiatives, with Queensland Treasury independently assessing the benefits of these changes at $425 million a year
Local businesses will be relieved of unnecessary regulations and costly and time-consuming paperwork under an LNP plan to slash red tape by 20 per cent over six years.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the target would help the region’s businesses to grow, prosper and employ more locals.
“We want our hard-working businesses to be given every opportunity to get ahead,” Mr Bennett said.
“To help do that, an LNP Government will commit to a 20 per cent red tape reduction target over six years.
“Unnecessary regulation, compliance paperwork and approval processes are a drag on every business’s bottom line.
“We want businesses focused on employing more Queenslanders and not on bureaucratic red tape.
“The 20 per cent target is vital if we are to successfully change the focus of government from promoting red tape to getting government out of the way so businesses can get on with it.”
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has made it harder to do business by increasing red tape and regulation.
“Labor scrapped the LNP’s plan to reduce payroll taxes, they’ve increased regulations in the hospitality, plumbing and resources industries and they’ve slugged a new investment tax on the property industry.
“We owe it to businesses, especially those many family-run small businesses, to turn this around.”
In committing to a 20 per cent red tape reduction target over six years, an LNP Government will:
• Measure the regulatory burden and establish a baseline so we can map progress against achieving our target
• Appoint an industry “go to” person to drive regulatory reform
• Set red tape reduction performance targets for Ministers and department heads, and
• Have an annual Red Tape Repeal Day set aside every year in Parliament for slashing bureaucracy
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said business confidence in Queensland had been negative since Labor was elected (according to the CCIQ Pulse Survey). A Sensis survey of businesses shows Palaszczuk Labor is viewed as the worst government in Australia.
However, Mr Emerson said the former LNP Government had been well on the way to achieving its 20 per cent red tape reduction target.
“We delivered important reforms including increasing the payroll tax threshold so more businesses pay less tax, halving the number of health and safety forms businesses need to fill in without compromising safety and reducing the need for unnecessary permits and licences,” he said.
“In less than three years, we progressed more than 500 red tape reform initiatives, with Queensland Treasury independently assessing the benefits of these changes at $425 million a year.
“This was a significant achievement and showed the LNP was tracking well against our 20 per cent red tape reduction target.”
The LNP is committed to leading a government that is better for Queensland. More government isn’t the answer to our problems – better government is.
Monday, 15 May 2017