You might have heard some talk recently about the Regulatory Standards Bill – a potential law the ACT Party are pushing. The name sounds dry and boring, but its contents are dangerous for public servants, State sector, local government, health and community workers.
That’s why PSA members are encouraged to make individual submissions against the Bill.
[Send your submission now before they close at 1pm on Monday 23rd June.]
Here’s what it does that effects PSA members:
- Erases Te Tiriti o Waitangi from law making.
- Puts individual property and corporate rights over what’s good for people and the planet – for almost all laws governing all public and community services.
- Limits the ability for laws or regulations to provide targeted support for women, disabled people, Māori, Pacific Peoples, migrants, people from refugee backgrounds, tamariki – or any marginalised group.
- Enshrines ACT Party values into all future lawmaking– even though only 8% of people in Aotearoa voted for them.
- Makes the Government much less likely to act on climate change, public health, reducing poverty, and other issues important to Aotearoa.
There’s more to it – keep reading for a more detailed explanation of those points. We know PSA members are concerned about the impact this Bill would have on our mahi and our communities.
Make a submission now on the Parliament website.
One of the best things we can do to stop it is make a submission. Here’s how:
We know making submissions is powerful because we’ve done it before. More than 300,000 people submitted on the Treaty Principles Bill, 90% of us opposed. It’s time to flex that submission muscle again in 4 easy steps:
Step 1: Open this page on the Parliament website.
Step 2: Enter your details. Remember your name and what you write will be published online.
Step 3: Write your submission in the two boxes on the screen, or upload it as a document. Check out the ideas we’ve included below for what to write.
Step 4: Click the ‘submit’ button and you’re done!
Your submission can be as long or short as you want. The most important thing to include is this:
“I oppose the Regulatory Standards Bill. It should be thrown out. I do not want an amended version of the Bill passed.”
Those statements alone are enough. If you want to include more, here are some ideas:
- The Regulatory Standards Bill breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi and erases it from lawmaking.
- The Regulatory Standards Bill limits the ability of public, community, and health services to deliver effectively for communities – particularly Māori, Pacific, disabled people, women, and more marginalised groups.
- The Regulatory Standards Bill puts individual property and corporate rights over the collective good for people and planet.
- The Regulatory Standards Bill will funnel public funds into corporations as “compensation” when the Government makes laws in the interests of people and the environment.
Check out this excellent resource from lawyer Tania Waikato. She lays out 50 things you could say in your submission.
The PSA will make a formal submission. It’s important we have our say as individuals too.
Can I make a submission as a worker in public, community, or health services, local government or the State Sector?
People working in community and public services have the same rights as others to submit to select committees. You can do it without compromising your employment obligations. The main things to remember are:
- Do this in your own time.
- Don’t suggest you’re representing or speaking for your employer
- Don’t use information you only have access to because of your job. Public information is fine to use.
Remember – submissions are public documents. They get published on the Parliament website, including who the submission is from. Don’t include personal details in your submission (e.g. contact details) if you don’t want them to be published.
If you choose to present your submission orally, do this in your own time and let your manager know. They should support your right to do this. If you worked directly on the Bill or work to advise ministers on matters relating to the Bill, you should not submit as an individual.
Background to the Regulatory Standards Bill
Emeritus Professor Jane Kelsey describes the objective of the Regulatory Standards Bill as “to bind governments forever to the neoliberal logic of economic freedom.” The ACT Party has already tried to pass this legislation three times – failing because of concern over the impact on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, criticism from Treasury, lawyers, and people in business.
It proposes ACT Party values become a set of principles that all laws get measured against – including the rule of law, liberties, taking or property, taxes, fees and levies, role of courts, and “good lawmaking.” It basically puts those principles above everything else – including Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Bill of Rights.
It places individual and corporate rights over what’s good for people and the planet by introducing the principle that people or companies whose property is ‘impaired’ should be compensated, putting barriers in the way of any legislation that would protect communities or the environment at the expense of business profits. It makes it much less likely for the Government to introduce things like environmental regulations that protect us all but might reduce corporate profits. For example, it could prevent the Government from making new regulations around alcohol or tobacco advertising when companies in those industries could claim they deserve compensation.
It means Governments will be much less likely to act on big issues important to all of us – like climate change, housing for all, poverty reduction, and protecting biodiversity.
The Bill will limit the ability of any legislation that enables public service to target support, funding, or services to specific groups – including disabled people, people from refugee backgrounds, and Māori. It sends a message to officials working on legislative proposals that meeting the principle of “equal application of the law” means not targeting services to disadvantaged groups that need them most – like funding for specific rainbow health services.
Melanie Nelson describes the Bill as “openly hostile to discretion, particularly the kind that allows public servants, professionals, or local authorities to apply judgement in specific contexts.” That includes situations like when resource consents should take into account the local ecosystem and Treaty-based decision-making.
If you want to learn more, check out the resources below.
Resources and where to learn more:
- 50 submissions opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill. Tania Waikato.
- Proposed bill ‘an ideological project that must be stopped.’ Jane Kelsey for E Tangata, 9 Feb 2025
- The Regulatory Standards Bill is Seymour’s next power grab. Greenpeace Aotearoa, 14 May 2025
- Koekoeaa Facebook & Instagram – a Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti roopu bringing accessible information and workshops for select committee submissions.
- The ‘dangerous’ bill has been updated, but how? Melanie Nelson for E Tangata, 18 May 2025
- Regulatory Standards Bill 2025 | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree – a list of resources and submissions from a wide range of New Zealanders about the Bill, compiled by Melanie Nelson.
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BFAM5q0gSey8WVoiqz-UBtNcsvIcqMgOJJHg97IJOfY/edit?usp=sharing – a submission-writing tool compiled by Melanie Nelson, Dr Ryan Ward and associates.
