Why is the Government not postponing all new business regulations?

Stuff reports:

The Government’s landmark freshwater reforms look in doubt after Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones indicated he would likely follow calls from some in the agricultural sector not to “hobble” them with new regulation at a time when the economy was weakened by the coronavirus outbreak.

The proposals were intended to clean up waterways, which had become polluted in many cases due to intensive farming and irrigation.

“I’ve got multiple requests to visit industry leaders around the regions, these calls are coming from our backbone industry leaders,” Jones said.

“They have all told me it is not an appropriate time to hobble our export earning industries,” he said.

Shane is right on this one.

It is economic suicide to be increasing costs on businesses in the midst of what may be the greatest economic recession in 90 years. This is not business as normal. Business incomes are not dropping by 1% or 5% but in some cases by 50% or 70%.

Parker declined to comment for this story, although Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told media at her post-cabinet press conference last week that the Government was “not at this stage” considering any moratorium on new regulations.

Why in God’s name not?

What part of economic emergency is hard to understand.

Any new regulation that is not both urgent and critical should be put on hold, until the economy is out of recession.

Bad enough the minimum wage increase is not being postponed, but to then keep loading other costs on businesses at this time will just lead to many more people losing their jobs.