Thursday 12th Jul 2001

The Coalition Governnment Cabinet is in a quandary over compliance costs following an excellent report by an independent panel set up by the Commerce Minister Paul Swain, ACT MP Owen Jennings said today.

"Environment Minister Marian Hobbs and the entire Green Party all claim there are no problems with the Resource Management Act. However, Minister of Economic Development Jim Anderton - and now Commerce Minister Swain - have concrete proof that the RMA is hugely detrimental to growth and jobs.

"If the Government's new-found understanding of business is backed up by any integrity, we can expect to see widespread changes to the RMA, Local Government, ACC, OSH, Hazardous Substances laws, and the tax system.

"I expect, however, that business will wait in vain for real change.

"As a member of the Local Government & Environment Select Committee that dumped the progressive amendments designed by Simon Upton I was horrified by the domination of the process by Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons. Not only were the positive changes removed, more red tape bureaucracy and uncertainty were created by her Select Committee when they reported to the House," Owen Jennings said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>