Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. How is the government assisting both consumers and the telecommunications and media sectors by reducing regulation through red tape repeal day?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hume for his question. I note his lifelong interest in business and deregulation and his commitment to the Liberal values, which can be summarised by saying that, 'We believe government's job is to enable citizens to do their best,'—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton has made his decision and will leave under 94(a).

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

whereas, Labor's value is that government always knows best. We are turning the paradigm of government on its head. The previous government, every day, boasted of how many laws they had passed. For the first time, we have a government that is committed to repealing laws, to removing that regulation and red tape. I want to give honourable members some examples in my own portfolio of practical changes being made today that are very important for businesses. For example: at the moment, under the law, every radio station—no matter how small—has to provide audited accounts every year. We have changed the law so that ACMA, the regulator, has the discretion to not require that with smaller stations. Steve Everett of ACE radio in Victoria, which has six stations in that category, says that this will not only reduce his workload but also cut his audit fees in half. These are real practical savings for business. Another example relating to the television industry: at the moment ACMA, the regulator, has no discretion—when a complaint is made, it has to investigate it. A good example: WIN TV in Queensland broadcast an article in 2002 and 2005. There was a complaint about it in 2009—seven years after the first broadcast and four years after the second. ACMA had no choice—it had to investigate it, and duly found in August 2010 that there had been no breaches.

That is the sort of red tape that we are removing, and there are many other examples in the telecommunications sector as well. Another key difference between our approach and that of our predecessor is the way we are dealing with industry. My predecessor, Senator Conroy, used to talk to industry leaders one at a time—privately, so he could always tell each one what they wanted to hear. And these episodes of sycophancy—private sycophancy—then of course resulted in collective belligerence when they realised he had told each of them something different.

What we are doing is dealing with the industry leaders openly. We met with the broadcasting chief executives and the telecom chief executives—dealing with industry openly so the public can see what we are doing and so they know that what we are doing is freeing business to do its job of delivering services more cost-effectively to all Australians. (Time expired)