NZ Hide says he’s going to start cutting red tape
NZPA | Tuesday November 25 2008 – 08:03pm
The new Minister for Regulatory Responsibility, Rodney Hide, says he’s going to cut the red tape that’s tying up New Zealand.
Mr Hide was given the job under the ACT Party’s support agreement with National — as well as Minister for Local Government — and he wants to get to work quickly.
“The problem is New Zealand is tied up in knots,” he said tonight.
“It’s the reason businesses are struggling, it’s the reason homeowners can’t get on and do the business.”
Mr Hide was on TV One’s CloseUp programme, where he was shown cases of property owners who were facing costly compliance rules for work they wanted to do.
One man who planned to build an outdoor toilet had been told there would be eight separate inspections.
“The principle should be that this is their property, they should be allowed to do what they like subject to not upsetting their neighbours and subject to being reasonably safe,” Mr Hide said.
“We’ve got to grow up a bit, accept some personal responsibility…what we’ve done in New Zealand is go the other way, we’ve had a nanny state where every little thing you need to get a consent for.”
Mr Hide said getting rid of red tape would help the country get through tough economic times.
“We didn’t build New Zealand over the last 200 years by having a bunch of central planners and bureaucrats telling us what we could do, we actually went out and got on with it and did it,” he said.
“As quick as we can we need to identify the sort of rules and regulations that are holding up New Zealand…I had a meeting today with (Acting Prime Minister) Bill English about this matter.”
Mr Hide said he wanted anyone suffering bureaucratic problems to get in touch with him.
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