Ten Percent Reduction Not A Bad Start

Statutes Repeal Bill

The following Media Release has been put out by the NZ Government:

Regulatory Reform Minister Steven Joyce and Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Regulatory Reform, David Seymour have today introduced a bill which will get rid of 124 redundant laws from New Zealand’s legislation.

The Statutes Repeal Bill will remove 124 pieces of legislation, and parts of eight other Acts.

“Originally we had 120 laws slated for removal. That number has now increased to 124. Overall, through this bill the number of public Acts on the New Zealand law books will reduce by more than 10 per cent,” Mr Joyce says.

“An Exposure Draft was released for an eight week public consultation period, during that time 16 submissions were received proposing that various pieces of legislation were added or removed from the Bill.”

The four additional Acts found suitable for repeal include Finance Act 1991, New Zealand Stock Exchange Restructuring Act 2002, Statutes Amendment Act 1943, and Statutes Amendment Act 1944.

“After analysis of what was being repealed, the Parliamentary Counsel Office has identified 15 separate Acts that require amendments as a result of those being repealed. All of the departments which administer these Acts have been contacted and agreed to the changes,” Mr Seymour says.

Some of the Acts identified for repeal include the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Act, Seamen’s Union Funds Act 1971 and the Wheat Board Amendment Act 1986.

“Reducing unnecessary legislation is a key priority for this Government,” says Mr Joyce. “Over time more pieces of legislation will become redundant, so there may be a need for further Statutes Repeal Bills in future.”  The Statutes Repeal Bill is available here.  [Hat Tip: Kiwiblog]

A ten percent reduction in law (almost all of it administrative law, having nothing to do with justice itself) is not a bad start.  We hope much more will be done.

We wonder how many bureaucrats will be made redundant as a result of this clean-up?  Imagine some cardigan wearing administrator responsible for the application of the Wheat Board Amendment Act 1968, having been ensconced in an unnamed, anonymous office for over fifty years, diligently administrating the Wheat Board.  He is suddenly startled out of his wits by a knock on his dusty door, only to be presented with the venerable "Don't Come Monday" pink slip.

You may laugh, dear reader, but Richard Prebble, in his book, I've Been Thinking documents actual similar instances he came across when he was Minister of Railways.