Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Regulatory Reform

David Seymour
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regulatory Reform

13 October 2015

120 redundant laws to be repealed

The Minister for Regulatory Reform, Steven Joyce, and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regulatory Reform, David Seymour, have today released a draft bill to repeal a range of redundant legislation.

The Statutes Repeal Bill will remove 120 pieces of superfluous legislation, and parts of eight other acts. It is being consulted on before it is introduced to Parliament.

“The proposed Bill would reduce the total number of public Acts in force by more than 10%,” Mr Joyce says.

“By repealing legislation that is no longer needed we make the body of existing legislation easier for users to navigate and for departments to administer,”

“We will be seeking feedback through an exposure draft from any party who thinks that they may be affected by the repeal of any legislation proposed for inclusion in the Bill, and from the legal community, who have the most experience dealing with legislation,” Mr Joyce says.

Earlier this year the Government accepted a Productivity Commission recommendation to increase the use of exposure drafts to improve New Zealand’s regulatory system.

“Consultation will ensure the Bill only repeals legislation that is redundant so that any repeals will not have adverse effects or unintended consequences on any party,” Mr Seymour says.

“Utilising the collective wisdom of the public can ensure Bills and regulations are of a high standard.”

The Statutes Repeal Bill currently proposes to repeal or partially repeal 120 Acts, it will reduce the total number of public Acts in force by 113, and the number of private Acts by 7.

The draft bill and information on how to make a submission is available HERE

Submissions close on 4 December 2015.

ENDS

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