The New Brunswick government is advancing a bill that it says will help eliminate regulatory overlap with neighbouring Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Two Opposition party leaders are denouncing the legislation, one because he says it doesn't do enough and the other because he says it goes too far.

The legislation would make New Brunswick part of the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness, a new entity created by Nova Scotia to eliminate red tape and regulations that affect the business sector's ability to compete.

Prince Edward Island signed onto the initiative last November.

But the creation of a new office seems to contradict the whole point of the exercise, said Progressive Conservative leader Bruce Fitch.

"You look at this bill and it actually adds layers of red tape," he said during a committee hearing review.

One section of the bill gives the cabinet the power to make regulations "classifying regulations," Fitch pointed out.

"Explain how having regulations to classify regulations is actually a reduction in red tape," he asked Economic Development Minister Rick Doucet.

Opposition Leader Bruce Fitch said the new bill would actually add layers of red tape. (CBC)

Doucet struggled at times to articulate how exactly the bill would allow businesses to operate more efficiently with less government regulation.

There would be economic benefits eventually, he said, when the the provinces use the new mechanisms.

"It's about common interests and bringing things together," Doucet said, with "measurables" that will be put in place.

"It's a very good starting point," he said. "You've got to have a starting point to have those discussions. It's very difficult to put a business plan in place as to what the objectives are until you start having some collaboration."

The previous PC government did have a red-tape-reduction initiative, he said, but businesses told the Liberals it failed to get rid of rules that hamper their ability to grow and create jobs.

In works for years

Various provincial governments have talked for years about reducing or harmonizing regulations among the Maritime governments, but there have been few concrete examples.

Bill 15 does not change or eliminate any regulations, but sets up a new process for doing it.

Besides writing the new office's role into law, the legislation will also allow the government to adopt a "charter of governing principles" to guide its cutting of regulations with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The new law will not be enforceable: the bill says regulations are still valid even if they don't comply with the legislation or the charter.

It also allows the three provinces to set a common date for a new shared regulation to take effect.

The bill also contains a so-called sunset clause that says the legislation itself will expire in five years until the legislature votes to renew it.

Green Party Leader David Coon says the bill goes too far, giving the premier and cabinet too much power outside of the legislature. (CBC)

Even so, Green Party Leader David Coon said he thinks other sections give Premier Brian Gallant and his cabinet too much power at the expense of the legislature.

Regulations are passed by cabinet, usually with authority granted to ministers under legislation.

'Hardly democratic'

But the new bill will give the cabinet sweeping new powers to change or repeal regulations without a vote by members of the legislature, Coon said.

"It basically gives a blank cheque to the premier's office, in regulation, to create definitions, whatever definitions they want. To establish whatever criteria they want which they'd apply to reviewing regulations, or to considering new regulations," he said.

"It could create a situation where executive power runs amok on regulation according to a framework agreed to within the executive arm of government, without legislative participation and without public participation," Coon added.

"That's hardly democratic."