Media Release

No Blackmail Over Business Law Reform

New Zealand First has refused to bow down to the threat from the Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel “to expose” New Zealand First’s refusal to accept a Business Law Reform Bill incorporating six or seven legislative items.

MP Dail Jones says that the Party will stand by its decision to oppose such a Bill. The Business Law Reform process has failed previously and delayed legislation to the detriment of the business community and society generally. Seven pieces of legislation take seven times longer than one piece of legislation.

“The 1999 Business Law Reform Bill was a fiasco. First reading 27 July 1999. Second reading 5 October 1999. Report considered 7 November 2000. Committal 4 April 2001. Assent May 2001.

“Straight forward individual Bills could proceed three times as promptly.

“Parliamentary tactics by the minority Labour government such as the introduction of the Business Law Reform Bill enable it to get on with its agenda to increase compliance costs, increase taxes to businesses, continue with its politically correct programme and anti business legislation.

“Examples are the increased import duties in the Customs and Excise legislation, increased Court fees, increased Birth Deaths and Marriages fees, increased Compliance costs under the Kyoto Climate Change legislation, the politically correct provisions of the Television Bill, compliance costs under the Local Government Bill, anti-business legislation such as the Supreme Court Bill, Smoke-Free Environments Bill, Consumer Credit legislation, Holidays Bill, Land Transport Management, Road Traffic Reduction Bill and the Taxation Bill.”

Mr Jones said that if the Government was serious about supporting business it would not introduce legislation that was detrimental to business in the first place and more time would then be available for straight forward legislation of a machinery nature.

ENDS

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