Tony Abbott launches campaign to cut $2 billion in unwanted laws and regulation

MOTORBIKES are set to drop in price as PM Tony Abbott launches legislation to scrap almost 1000 acts and regulations.

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FOR years, the rear mudguards of Australian motorcycles have been longer than those fitted in overseas factories and few riders know they are paying extra for this requirement.

But Australia’s rapidly expanding motorcycle community could be among the first to benefit from the Government’s pledge to reduce “red tape”.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott today announced legislation to scrap almost 1000 acts and regulations, eliminating $2 billion in unwanted regulations — double its election promise.

This would include scrapping the law demanding motorcycles have larger rear mudguards than required in Japan and Europe.

That means Australia’s 750,000 motorbike licence holders might see as much as $200 lopped from the price of a new set of two wheels — and with close to 70,000 new bikes sold annually that’s a total of $14.4 million.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says unnecessary acts and regulations have hampered productivity.

“Consumers in Australia will finally have access to motorcycles as originally designed by the manufacturers, bringing Australia into line with other major markets including the European Union and Japan,” said Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs.

Mr Abbott said between 2010 and last year an act of Parliament was passed every two days, and some 21,000 new regulations “became part of our national life”.

“Talk to any butcher, newsagent, dry cleaner or cafe owner and he or she will tell you that it is the accumulation of regulation that damages initiative, productivity and the willingness of people to ‘have a go’,” he said.

“If red tape can grow incrementally, then it can be cut in the same way. That is what the Government is doing today.

“When it comes to regulation, we are changing the culture of government. Deregulation units are now in place across government.”

The time taken to list new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be cut to “access to vital, life-saving medicines”.

More controversially, the Prime Minister said the Government would “delivering a one-stop shop for environmental approvals”.