Business will continue to back controversial changes to health and safety legislation, while a Labour-led government says it will repeal the law if it wins the upcoming general election.Businesses had been advocating for changes over the past decade amid concerns the legislation created unnecessary costs and compliance and was too confusing and difficult to work with.Business Canterbury chief executive Leeann Watson said the amendments made common sense and responded to the concerns the business community had for years."The current system places too much emphasis on tick boxing and paperwork, rather than helping businesses focus on managing the risks that can cause serious harm," she said."Inconsistent processes and enforcement action being undertaken by WorkSafe also created an adversarial relationship with the business community, which was not necessarily conducive to positive health and safety outcomes."She said Business Canterbury would continue to advocate for the changes, which were to be put in place from April next year, and to ensure the next government honours the substantive changes made."From April next year, businesses will now have much greater clarity on expectations and best practice," Watson said.