Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-16 Daily Xml

Contents

OFFICE OF CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:51): I ask a supplementary question. When talking about net savings in red tape, what figure has the minister included with regard to the actual cost to business of the red tape that has been imposed on the real estate industry, or does the minister think that there has been no additional cost?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:51): I have already answered that question. I said that—

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It is a balancing act.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the call.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes. They are factored in.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Those things are factored in. We do get the balance right. I will attempt to find that level of detail, that minutiae, because we do consider—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —these very carefully. We use business cost calculators with all of our assessments. So, all those factors are factored in, and the savings that I have informed the council about today are net savings and take into account the cost implications as well.

As I said, I am more than happy to provide those figures, but I point out that they are net savings costs and they factor in the full cost implications of those initiatives. The opposition can rest assured that they are real savings.