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Achieving better regulation of services

Conference proceedings

The Productivity Commission and the Australian National University jointly hosted the conference on 26-27 June 2000 at the Australian National University in Canberra. The conference was directed at improving the regulation of services industries in Australia and overseas. It outlines principles of good regulatory design and identifies regulatory options to deliver better economic and social outcomes. The proceedings were released on 30 November 2000.

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  • Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Foreword, Contents, Abbreviations and explanations

PART A  INTRODUCTION

1  Introduction
Gary Banks

PART B  WHY REGULATE SERVICES?

2  Introduction to the regulation of services
Christopher Findlay
Discussant:Patrick Messerlin
General discussion

3  The principles of good regulation
Paul Coghlan
Discussant:Aaditya Mattoo
General discussion

PART C  REGULATING FOR COMPETITION

4  Access: what, where and how
Stephen King
Discussant:Ed Willett
General discussion

5  Regulating access to telecommunications networks
Robert Albon
Discussant:Rod Shogren
General discussion

6  Improving the regulation of international air services
Geraldine Gentle
Discussant:Christopher Findlay
General discussion

PART D  REGULATING FOR CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

7  Lessons from the Asian Crisis
Jeff Carmichael
Discussant:Tom Valentine
General discussion

8  Principles for regulating the professions
Neil Byron, Lisa Gropp and Kim Gusberti
Discussant:Jeffrey Keddie
General discussion
Response:Neil Byron

9  Regulating for the safe and effective delivery of pharmacy services
David Greig
Discussant:Helen Lapsley
General discussion

PART E  REGULATING TO ATTAIN SOCIAL GOALS

10  Is market-based regulation the best way to regulate community services?
The case for market-based regulation:Alan Moran
The case against market-based regulation:Robert Fitzgerald AM
Response:Alan Moran
Response:Robert Fitzgerald AM
General discussion

11  Regulating gambling: a 'market friendly' approach to the social impacts
Gary Banks
Discussant:David Johnson
General discussion

12  Regulating culture: has it 'Gone with the Wind'?
Patrick Messerlin
Discussant:Pierre Sauvé
General discussion

13  Towards multilateral rules on trade and culture: protective regulation or efficient protection?
Pierre Sauvé and Karsten Steinfatt
Discussant:Patrick Messerlin
General discussion

PART F  MEASURING AND MODELLING THE IMPACT OF RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE IN SERVICES

14  'Sins of commission and omission': measuring regulatory impediments to trade in services
Tony Warren and Christopher Findlay
Discussant:Alison Burrows
Discussant:Will Martin
General discussion

15  Modelling the liberalisation of services
Philippa Dee, Kevin Hanslow and Tien Phamduc
Discussant:Kym Anderson
Discussant:Will Martin
General discussion

PART G  ACHIEVING BETTER REGULATION OF SERVICES

16  Approaches to improving regulation: regulatory competition or regulatory harmonisation? A forum
General discussion

APPENDICES

A  Conference participants

B  Conference program

Achieving Better Regulation of Services contains the proceedings of a joint Productivity Commission and Australian National University (ANU) conference directed at improving the regulation of services industries in Australia and overseas. It outlines principles of good regulatory design and identifies regulatory options to deliver better economic and social outcomes.

The volume brings together the conference papers by leading Australian and international experts in the fields of regulation, services and international trade. It also includes assessments of each paper by prominent discussants and summaries of the issues raised in general discussion.

Achieving Better Regulation of Services canvasses:

  • why regulate services;
  • the range of regulatory responses open to government;
  • frameworks for assessing potential regulatory action;
  • ways of promoting competition in network industries with natural monopoly characteristics, especially in the areas of telecommunications, rail transport and international aviation;
  • the scope for regulation to promote consumer confidence in banking, pharmacies and the professions;
  • the potential for regulation to achieve social objectives by drawing on issues relevant to gambling, community services and culture;
  • issues associated with measuring the effects of regulation;
  • the potential gains from international regulatory reform; and
  • whether domestic or international institutions (such as the WTO) can facilitate better regulation.

Contributors to the conference volume include:

Prof Patrick Messerlin (Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris), Dr Pierre Sauvé (Harvard University), Dr Will Martin (World Bank), Mr Aaditya Mattoo (World Bank), Mr Gary Banks (Productivity Commission), Prof Christopher Findlay (ANU), Prof Richard Snape (Productivity Commission), Prof Stephen King (University of Melbourne), Dr Robert Albon (ANU), Dr Jeff Carmichael (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) and Mr Robert Fitzgerald AM (NSW Community Services Commission).

Further information

02 6240 3330 / media@pc.gov.au