Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Patents (Trans-Tasman Patent Attorneys and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Patents (Trans-Tasman Patent Attorneys and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 09 February 2016. Volume:711;Page:8816. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National): First of all I would like to take this opportunity to wish a happy New Year to all members of this House and to the staff working here in Parliament. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Hon Paul Goldsmith on introducing this bill the Patents (Trans-Tasman Patent Attorneys and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. This bill amends the Patents Act 2013 and it makes three major amendments. The first amendment is to the grounds on which a person can oppose the grant of a patent under the Patents Act 2013. The second one is to propose a single patent application process and the third one is to have a joint registration with Australia for patent attorneys. Ever since this Government took over in 2008 it has been trying to make sure that ease of doing business is achieved and having the singular registration authority across the Tasman with Australia will allow patents to have a single application process which will reduce the fees structure as well as the paperwork.Last week I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the 26th chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India which gave me the opportunity to meet the representative of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand who mentioned that the passing of the legislation to have chartered accountants working across the Ditch on a single regime has really helped their businesses. Similarly this bill will give patent attorneys the opportunity to lodge a single application so that the paperwork is reduced the fees are reduced and businesses can do the business they want to do much more easily.The joint registration regime will help attorneys to have more working capacity. There are fewer than 1000 registered patent attorneys in New Zealand and Australia. Each country maintains separate but similar registration regimes for patent attorneys and over half are registered to practise both in Australia and New Zealand. A single trans-Tasman regulatory framework for patent attorneys was endorsed by Australia and New Zealand in 2009; New Zealand and Australia signed a bilateral agreement for implementation of the regime in 2013. The regulatory framework will introduce a single trans-Tasman register for patent attorneys—a single definition of service that may be performed only by registered patent attorneys. Our trans-Tasman Governments worded a single disciplinary regime and code of conduct and a single disciplinary tribunal will determine complaints and discipline of attorneys. This will help businesses to have their problems addressed by a single authority.The single patent application process and the single patent examination process with Australia—out of the businesses that registered their patents in New Zealand the majority 95 percent also registered their patents in Australia. It is very important that we should give opportunities for businesses to have ease of doing business rather than that they are stuck with paperwork or paying double fees on their patents. The world is now where you can have a very competitive business and unless you reduce your costs you will not be able to compete with the other companies across the world because the markets are open and anybody can come and work anywhere. We have passed many pieces of legislation that are helping businesses to do business in New Zealand as well as Australia. With these words I commend this bill to the House.