Service NL
November 26, 2014

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tony Cornect, Minister of Service NL:

Minister Provides Update on Regulatory Reform

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to present the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s first Regulatory Reform Annual Report. Since this initiative began in 2005, regulatory reform has been a success story for this government.

Our government is responsible for providing the regulatory framework for government departments and agencies to develop policies, programs and procedures. The purpose of the Regulatory Reform Initiative is to improve the regulatory environment for individuals, businesses and communities when accessing services or complying with government requirements.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to tell you that our Regulatory Reform Initiative continues to lead the way in our country when it comes to improving the quality of regulation. Our Regulatory Reform Accountability Framework, announced in 2012, was the first of its kind in Canada. This framework defines the expectations of regulatory reform, the roles and responsibilities of individual departments and agencies, and outlines the oversight activities for the initiative.

In this past year, we have not only met our standing commitment of zero growth in the number of regulatory requirements, but we have also exceeded this commitment with a further decrease in excess of 1,300 requirements. Regulatory reform efforts have also helped to modernize legislation such as the Adoption Act, 2013, streamline multiple wage subsidy programs into a single program and application, and enhance the public’s access to services, such as being able to request birth, marriage and death certificates online. Mr. Speaker, this is just a small sample of what this initiative has achieved in the last year.

Mr. Speaker, we are a leader in this country when it comes to regulatory reform and I am proud of the tremendous amount of work that has been completed by those responsible for this important initiative. I encourage all members of this Honourable House to visit Service NL’s website and review the 2013-14 Regulatory Reform Annual Report, which outlines many more significant achievements.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2014 11 26                           2:30 p.m.