Page 3545 - Week 11 - Thursday, 23 October 2014
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Chief Minister’s delegation to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, October 2014—Statement by Minister.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Food Amendment Bill 2014
Ms Gallagher, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Higher Education and Minister for Regional Development) (11.04): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I present to the Assembly the Food Amendment Bill 2014. The cafe, restaurant and food service sector is an important part of Canberra’s economic and social fabric. There are more than 2,500 registered food businesses in the ACT, each offering employment opportunities and delivering earnings to the economy. As a sector dominated by small players, it is critical that the regulatory environment in which food businesses operate is sufficient to ensure food safety while not imposing excessive red tape.
Opposition members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: Sorry, Madam Speaker; I cannot hear myself.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson!
MS GALLAGHER: It is with this in mind that I present the Food Amendment Bill.
These amendments build on a range of government actions to reduce red tape to support efficient and effective regulatory outcomes and reduce the burden on community organisations. These reforms will have real impact across the ACT community by directly addressing concerns about compliance requirements for what are assessed as lower risk activities. These changes are not a shifting of the regulatory burden between government, business and the community, but are a genuine reduction in red tape for the ACT.
The bill I am presenting today has the overarching aim of reducing the regulatory burden on food businesses, and on non-profit community organisations that sell food for fundraising purposes. I would like to stress that all of the measures presented in
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