This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/26/tony-abbotts-repeal-day-seen-as-smoke-and-mirrors
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Tony Abbott's repeal day just 'smoke and mirrors', says opposition | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tony Abbott said it would be "the biggest bonfire of regulations in our country’s history", but critics have denounced the prime minister's first repeal day as "smoke and mirrors". | Tony Abbott said it would be "the biggest bonfire of regulations in our country’s history", but critics have denounced the prime minister's first repeal day as "smoke and mirrors". |
| The government has devoted Wednesday to a full day of lower-house debate about redundant laws, as part of its push to remove red tape and ease the pressure on businesses. | The government has devoted Wednesday to a full day of lower-house debate about redundant laws, as part of its push to remove red tape and ease the pressure on businesses. |
| But opposition MPs ridiculed the worth of the changes, which included the removal of the hyphen from "e-mail" in existing legislation and the abolition of a 1909 act requiring owners of mules and bullocks to hand over their animals for defence purposes. | But opposition MPs ridiculed the worth of the changes, which included the removal of the hyphen from "e-mail" in existing legislation and the abolition of a 1909 act requiring owners of mules and bullocks to hand over their animals for defence purposes. |
| Wednesday's parliamentary debate comes a week after the government presented a series of bills to parliament. Some of those bills – including changes to Labor's financial advice protection laws, the abolition of the national charity regulator, and the scrapping of a national security law watchdog – are not part of Wednesday's main discussion. | Wednesday's parliamentary debate comes a week after the government presented a series of bills to parliament. Some of those bills – including changes to Labor's financial advice protection laws, the abolition of the national charity regulator, and the scrapping of a national security law watchdog – are not part of Wednesday's main discussion. |
| Dozens of MPs have risen to debate the Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2014) Bill, which outlines changes in 10 portfolios, much of it related to the telecommunications sector. | Dozens of MPs have risen to debate the Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2014) Bill, which outlines changes in 10 portfolios, much of it related to the telecommunications sector. |
| The bill also removes certification requirements under the Aged Care Act 1997 which "replicates state, territory and local government building regulations". | The bill also removes certification requirements under the Aged Care Act 1997 which "replicates state, territory and local government building regulations". |
| Further, the Amending Acts 1901 to 1969 Repeal Bill will result in the repeal of more than 1000 old acts, the explanatory notes state, and will "not substantially alter existing arrangements or make any change to the substance of the law". | Further, the Amending Acts 1901 to 1969 Repeal Bill will result in the repeal of more than 1000 old acts, the explanatory notes state, and will "not substantially alter existing arrangements or make any change to the substance of the law". |
| The third law being debated, the Statute Law Revision Bill, corrects technical and spelling errors in existing acts. | The third law being debated, the Statute Law Revision Bill, corrects technical and spelling errors in existing acts. |
| The leader of opposition business, Tony Burke, said Labor would support these three bills. He likened the bills to "cleaning and vacuuming the spare room" – a necessary housekeeping task that was not deserving of excessive praise. | The leader of opposition business, Tony Burke, said Labor would support these three bills. He likened the bills to "cleaning and vacuuming the spare room" – a necessary housekeeping task that was not deserving of excessive praise. |
| Burke said one of the bills to be repealed, the Defence Act 1909, required "the owner of any vehicle, horse, mule, bullock, boat, or vessel, or of any goods, required for naval or military purposes" to furnish it upon request. | Burke said one of the bills to be repealed, the Defence Act 1909, required "the owner of any vehicle, horse, mule, bullock, boat, or vessel, or of any goods, required for naval or military purposes" to furnish it upon request. |
| "Maybe there are small businesses in the mule and bullock trade who have been anxiously waiting for this to be clarified on the statute books," Burke said. | "Maybe there are small businesses in the mule and bullock trade who have been anxiously waiting for this to be clarified on the statute books," Burke said. |
| Government MPs said it was simply the first of numerous repeal days, with further deregulation to come. | Government MPs said it was simply the first of numerous repeal days, with further deregulation to come. |
| "The Abbott government understands that small government is good government," the Queensland Liberal National MP Jane Prentice said. | "The Abbott government understands that small government is good government," the Queensland Liberal National MP Jane Prentice said. |
| The leader of government business, Christopher Pyne, predicted that repeal day would be “a great success”. | The leader of government business, Christopher Pyne, predicted that repeal day would be “a great success”. |
| "It's a bit like a school carnival being debated today and we are very excited on this side of the house on the prospect of sweeping away many of these regulations, much of the red tape that is strangling business and communities, repealing bills that are not necessary,” Pyne said at the opening of the day-long debate. | "It's a bit like a school carnival being debated today and we are very excited on this side of the house on the prospect of sweeping away many of these regulations, much of the red tape that is strangling business and communities, repealing bills that are not necessary,” Pyne said at the opening of the day-long debate. |
| The deputy leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, warned that the government's deregulation push contained "land mines" such as wage cuts of up to 25% for government-contracted cleaners. | The deputy leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, warned that the government's deregulation push contained "land mines" such as wage cuts of up to 25% for government-contracted cleaners. |
| The government is revoking the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines from 1 July this year, but that was not part of legislation being debated on Wednesday. The former Labor government introduced guidelines that outlined minimum hourly rates of pay for Australian government cleaning services contracts. | The government is revoking the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines from 1 July this year, but that was not part of legislation being debated on Wednesday. The former Labor government introduced guidelines that outlined minimum hourly rates of pay for Australian government cleaning services contracts. |
| The deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, said the government was "cutting the pay of thousands of cleaners and bestowing knighthoods on a select few". | The deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, said the government was "cutting the pay of thousands of cleaners and bestowing knighthoods on a select few". |
| "They are prepared to cut the pay of their own office cleaners," she said. | "They are prepared to cut the pay of their own office cleaners," she said. |