[AusNOG] Deregulation review

[Narelle]

[Responses off list, please. If you want the full paper, let me know
and I will forward.]


All
the new Minister for Communications has initiated a review of
regulation in the telecommunications sector with responses due by 18
December.


I have received the following request and would be happy to channel
some of your thoughts through. I have tried to correct all the scanner
induced typos.

Feel free to send your own responses directly.

Note - the response I will compile will be on behalf of the Internet
Society of Australia and will therefore be filtered through the "lens"
of what is best for the Internet. That process attempts to balance
user and service provider needs. Effort will be applied to ensure
views are not misrepresented.

best regards

Narelle


From:
the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, MP
Minister for Communications

Deregulation: Initiatives in the Communications Sector
The Coalition Government has made a strong commitment to reduce the
regulatory burden for
business and the community.

This is a high priority and focus in the Communications portfolio --
and I am keen to move quickly on potential areas for reform. My
Parliamentary Secretary, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, will take the lead
in assisting me in this work. Our aim is to deliver real reform in the
communications sector through better regulation which lowers the cost
burden on business while maintaining necessary consumer and other
safeguards.

Real reform will only be achieved through careful consideration of a
vast range of complex policy
issues across the portfolio. The deregulation agenda therefore is not
just a short-term process. We will need to work together over the
coming months on aspects of the existing framework that are not easily
removed or adjusted.

That does not mean that we cannot commence the process now of removing
redundant or
unnecessary regulation and reducing costs of regulatory
administration. The Government intends to hold its first "Regulation
Repeal Day" in the Parliament in early 2014, and I would like to seize
this chance to remove unnecessary regulation in the Communications
portfolio.

Already there have been some excellent suggestions from companies and
organisations in the
communications sector. I am now writing formally to call for your
advice in three key areas at this stage. I also expect you will
distribute this letter widely through your membership.

Redundant regulation
Firstly I would welcome your input on areas for reform that could be
implemented in a shoti
timeframe-potentially for the first Regulation Repeal Day-with a
particular focus on burdensome
and redundant regulation. What we are looking for here is regulation
which has manifestly outlived its usefulness, is burdensome on
companies in the sector without adding any value to industry or
consumers, or which mandates the production of information that no-one
uses.

It would be helpful if you could frame your responses in the form of
the template at Attachment 1.

Reducing regulation: longer term
Second, I would appreciate your early advice about longer term
regulatory changes. 'T'hese
arc ones you think are important, and would produce real savings for
companies in the sector
-but which involve harder decisions for Government You might also want
to think about
how existing regulation could be replaced with lighter touch, less
intrusive or less costly
regulation. The brief discussion paper at Attachment 2 might be
helpful in framing your
responses in this area.

This input will assist the Government in deciding the relative
priorities for reform and the
appropriate process and timing for considering these more complex issues.

Measuring and Quantifying the Cost of Regulation
Third, I would welcome your thoughts about the approach we plan to
takc on measuring the
cost impact of regulation in the communications sector on businesses,
not-for-proflts and
individuals. This will be part of our Government-wide approach to
estimating the cost of
compliance with regulation today - and the savings to be achieved as
we reduce regulatory
burden.

Attachment 3 outlines our currcnt thinking on cost elements. Does this
framework make
sense to you? How should costs in each category be measured? In time
we will be asking for
data about the costs incurred by companies in the sector in each
category. Would this be
better gathered from individual companies or through their related
industry bodies? Are there
other types of costs we are missing?

Next Steps
I would welcome an initial response from you, particularly on the near
term opportunities, by
18 December 2013. Responses should be sent to
Deregulation at communications.gov.au.


Attachment 1: Proposals for short-term deregulation reform



1. Description of relevant regulation



2. Policy underlying regulation



3. Reasons regulation is no longer needed/could be amended



4. Proposal to remove or amend (if amend, please describe amendment)



6. What impact removal/amendment will have on industry



7. What impact removal/amendment will have on consumers/individuals




-- 


Narelle Clark
President,
Internet Society of Australia
President at isoc-au.org.au