Young Jonathan: Regulatory Reform Bill Regulatory Reform (Repeals) Bill — Second Readings 
Young Jonathan: Regulatory Reform Bill Regulatory Reform (Repeals) Bill — Second Readings 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) 
: 
 I am very happy to stand in support of these two bills that we are debating concurrently the Regulatory Reform Bill and the Regulatory Reform (Repeals) Bill. It needs to be said again and again and again that the National-led Government is working hard to secure a very strong future for the economy the families and the business people of New Zealand. This legislation as mundane as it might sound according to Clare Curran is actually very important. 
We have heard speakers this evening and today talk about this situation regarding video labels. Do you know what is significant about that? It was just a very small change that made a significant difference. I think that this is the genius of doing regulation reform. There are very small changes that can make significant differences to businesses out there. But we need to understand that these changes are creating change in not just how things are done but also who does them and this is the challenge that we are facing. This is the challenge that the Opposition does not like because it alters the job market. 
But the reality is that our economy is all the time changing. It is all the time evolving. It is all the time reacting and responding to market trends so it is incredibly important that we go through a regular process of regulatory reform in order to make sure that we have regulations that are fit for purpose that they work and that they are not encumbrances but actually enhance and help business. Our regulations need to be like a racehorse—lean and high performance. We need to have regulations that are not cumbersome that work that are common-sense and that enhance productivity in this country. 
We are in times of incredible change around the world and the good thing I believe about New Zealand is that we are responding. We are moving forward. Better but less regulation is essential to boost New Zealand’s productivity. The maintenance of a quality regulatory environment in New Zealand requires a body of legislation that is easy to use up to date and fit for purpose. That is incredibly important. That is what is going to give us the advantage in this highly competitive world. 
New Zealand needs to offer a better policy environment than what can be found anywhere else if we are to overcome all the disadvantages that we face as a nation. We are a long way away from our markets—perhaps the farthest country from the markets that we send to. We have a small size. We have geographical isolation. We have incredible transport costs. So what is it that is going to give us that advantage? Of course it is going to be innovation. It is going to be that Kiwi know-how that ability to adapt and to find what it is going to be that is going to create that edge. But in order to do all of that we have got to have regulations that enhance that process. 
You know under the previous Labour Government we know that we saw a huge increase in the core Public Service. It was an environment that lived and breathed regulation in many regards because of the programmes that were put in place. But we are moving into an environment where it needs to be far more entrepreneurial where it needs to be far more innovative because no doubt even though we have very good public servants the people who are earning us overseas exchange are our entrepreneurs. 
Our Public Service needs to support our economy and it needs to support our population but we have got to have regulation that is going to support entrepreneurialism and that is going to enable innovation to take place. Like we have talked about even this video case used to have stickers on it but now what they have said—something very basic; something very simple that should have been done a long time ago—is that they can just print the classification on the slip at the point of production. That saves that industry millions of dollars every year. What it does with those millions of dollars is be more innovative and create more jobs. All of these things are enhancing our economy. That is the sort of thinking we need. 
Like I said when I started my speech it is the small things that make significant differences. We have business people all over this country who are doing business and who are finding things that are snagging them and stopping their productivity. No doubt they are speaking to their members of Parliament and asking: “Why is this here? Why cannot that be changed here to make things easier?”. That is the process. It is politicians being connected to business people that is going to help regulation continue to change and be improved and modified and that is going to enable us—New Zealanders—to have a competitive economy in this very competitive world. Thank you.