Regulatory Standards Bill welcomed with open arms

Federated Farmers strongly welcomes the introduction to parliament of the Regulatory Standards Bill, which will raise the quality of law making in this country.

"This Bill should not go unnoticed. This is a very important piece of legislation and a rare opportunity to tighten our regulatory environment," says Don Nicolson, Federated Farmers president.

"The Regulatory Standards Bill instils a set of important fundamental principles by which all regulation must abide, such as the rule of law and the protection of property rights. It basically protects every citizen's basic liberties from undue interference.

"While the courts will not be able to strike down an act of parliament if it's incompatible with the Regulatory Standards Bill, they will be given the power to deliver a statement of incompatibility.

"This will boost the transparency of law making and give citizens a powerful moral tool that will make Government's think twice before ramming badly written legislation through Parliament.

"This is one of those Bill's that has the potential to make a tangible difference to the way our country works. It will help to avoid the introduction of unnecessary regulation and red tape that has stifled New Zealand's economic growth for so long.

"At some point in the future we would like to see the Regulatory Standards Bill bring local government rulemaking into its orbit, obviously including the Resource Management Act.

"Having said that, we support this important Bill and look forward to the next phase. It is good to see the government is finally giving this Bill the focus it deserves," Mr Nicolson concluded.

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