'Striking The Balance' - Bureaucrats 1, Business Nil.

The Government's response to the Business Compliance Cost Report is completely unimaginative and demonstrates how much it's been captured by the bureaucrats, say National's Tony Ryall and Warren Kyd.

"It's nothing short of hopeless and proves that the Government has no new ideas on how to reduce compliance costs. There's no commitment here and it's just not listening. Business will see right through it," say the MPs.

"This Government is hell-bent on passing new regulations affecting business - take ACC, OSH, and marine aquaculture bans - instead of easing the path for business growth.

"What the Government should be doing is redefining the whole business compliance relationship rather than ignoring advice like it's done with the Business Compliance Cost Panel.

"National is working on new policy around the concept of "compliance-free zones" for business; businesses with a particular number of staff or turnover won't have to comply with certain regulations. At the moment, companies with a turnover of less than $40,000 do not have to register for GST and this approach could be extended to other pieces of legislation.

"The Government is desperate to extend the hand of friendship to business, but it's just taken a big backward step with its response to this report," Mr Ryall and Mr Kyd 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>>