Climate Justice Taranaki rejects the resurfacing of the Regulatory Standards Bill and wants it binned once and for all. The Bill proposal makes a mockery of ‘good law-making’.

Heavily criticized by the legal profession, Treasury and the public, the Bill, in similar forms, has been struck out three times over the last two decades. This is the ACT Party’s fourth attempt to revive it into law, through its Coalition Agreement with National.

Driven by a minor party’s libertarian ideology, the Regulatory Standards Bill, alongside the Treaty Principles Bill, would have sweeping constitutional implications, if enacted.

“By putting liberties, rights and private properties as principles over and above obligations and the protection of the commons, the Regulatory Standards Bill could force the rewrite or change the meanings of many existing laws and regulations, and threaten any safeguard for the environment and communities,” said Catherine Cheung, Researcher of Climate Justice Taranaki.

The proposed Regulatory Standards Bill conveniently omits any principle that relates to the Treaty of Waitangi or Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“As such, it would remove the little protection and avenues of redress that currently exists for Māori. It would especially strip away the rights of tangata whenua yet to receive settlements, undermine tino rangatiratanga and ignore the importance of tikanga and kaitiakitanga.

The numerous redactions in the preliminary Treaty Impact Analysis for the Bill are concerning. Why is the public not allowed to read the full Treaty impact analysis? What is so damning that it can’t see the light of day?” asked Cheung.

The proposed Regulatory Standards Board would consider complaints about inconsistency of regulations with the proposed principles. The Board could also review the design of legislation at its own behest or as instructed by the Minister for Regulation.

“We see this as a huge power grab, perhaps to please vested interests like the mining and industrial agriculture and fishing industries, potentially at the expense of ordinary citizens, Māori, migrant workers and other marginalised groups, as well as activists working for social and environmental justice. We encourage everybody to submit against this dangerous Bill proposal before the deadline of Monday 13 January. Email RSBconsultation@regulation.govt.nz More details are on the Ministry for Regulation website”.

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