The Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), currently before the New Zealand Parliament, aims to improve the quality of regulation by establishing clear benchmarks for good law-making and increasing transparency. It seeks to reduce unnecessary and poor-quality regulation, promoting economic efficiency and accountability in the regulatory system. The bill introduces a set of "principles of responsible regulation" that all new and existing legislation must comply with. We do not agree!

Read the Kahungunu submission rejecting the Regulatory Standards Bill in its entirety

RECOMMENDATION

• Immediate Rejection. This submission strongly recommends the immediate rejection of the RSB in its entirety.
• Te Tiriti Embedding: All regulation and policy should explicitly reference and operationalise Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This includes requiring co-governance arrangements and meaningful engagement with iwi and hapū at all stages of regulatory and policy development and implementation.

CONCLUSION

• The RSB represents a significant threat to Aotearoa New Zealand's constitutional framework, democratic processes, and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• The bill's numerous flaws and its potential for far-reaching negative consequences, as highlighted by extensive expert analysis, necessitate its withdrawal.
• Its potential to undermine Māori rights, weaken environmental protections, and exacerbate social and economic inequalities, as evidenced by the concerns raised by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and numerous experts, is deeply concerning.
• This submission urges the government to withdraw the RSB and initiate a genuine and inclusive process for building on existing and international best practice regulatory frameworks including ‘Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Colour’, ‘United Nations Declaration Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ and ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, which reflects unique values and priorities of Aotearoa.

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