With Christopher Murn
Executive Summary: The global financial crisis and economic downturn makes a review of Western Australia’s regulatory burden urgent. Over the past decade, the amount of new legislation has increased by an average of 158 pages per year. This increase is substantially faster in Western Australia than in any other state, even after controlling for economic growth and population. Western Australia has developed an international reputation as the most over-regulated Australian state. Over-regulation has significance financial, social and indirect costs to Western Australians. There are also substantial hidden costs.