Firstly, setting submission dates on controversial legislation during summer break is an abuse of power which is ironic because the Regulatory Standards Bill is a ferocious abuse of power and flies in the face of what a functioning Democracy values.
ACT have tailored an economic straight jacket that will make it impossible to counter corporate interests ever again.
If this passes, Corporations will be able to stop any environmental or taxation policy they don’t like.
The radical nature of this should terrify every New Zealander. It is a break peddle for corporate interests and a gag for democratically elected change.
We require regulated capitalism not free market fantasies.
This is a blatant power grab by those fearful climate change will provoke electoral demands they don’t want to pay for!
Why on earth are we placing democratic break peddles on legislation the people have mandated by popular vote?
The Regulatory Standards Bill is an ideological vanity project that will have the real world impact of strangling off the popular will of the people!
Why on earth is this even being considered?
My recommendation is that this Bill be dumped immediately and reset to broaden the values beyond corporate and wealth interests.
NZs crony under regulated capitalism is forever being deregulated by donors to the Political Right (and at times the Left).
The dominant position the Supermarket Duopoly has built ensures they control the market and that the power of competition doesn’t allow for consumers to enjoy the fruits of capitalism. Their ability to introduce mass surveillance into their stores so they can exploit it highlights their total dominance.
Meanwhile migrant labour is being exploited and the lack of policing the existing rules by the Government is laid bare…
‘The system is f…..’: Immigration staff say bosses knew visa system didn’t work, and ignored it
…we can’t keep having under regulated capitalism fuelled by exploiting migrant labour that creates duopolies, monopolies and oligopolies!
We aren’t asking for sweeping new powers or over the top communism here, all we are looking for is the industry as it currently exists being properly policed!
Supermarket duopolies shouldn’t be screwing us because of a lack of competition, Migrant workers shouldn’t be getting exploited and the cost of housing should be brought down by increasing competition in the drainage industry!
There are basic solutions to all these issues, I’m not looking for socialism from the NZ Government, just basic regulated capitalism!
Max Harris’s work on a Green Ministry of Works is a step in the right direction…
Rising To The Challenge: A Ministry Of Green Works For Aotearoa
…alongside regulation that is actually policed we could reset our rigged Capitalism.
ACT and National are promising to gut MBIE because MBIE employs the people who regulate New Zealand’s poorly policed and under regulated capitalism!
27 000 Bosses were given the power to import migrant workers and exploit them, of that number only a handful have had their exploitation scams ended and that’s because there is no State policing the current regulations we have!
We see this time and time and time again, State regulators who are supposedly policing the under regulated markets with barely enough staff to look into anything at all!
Max Rashbrooke highlighted the horror of NZs under regulated market…
The bad news is that, to investigate 200,000-300,000 terrible rentals, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has employed a frontline inspectorate numbering … 37. Each inspector will have to check somewhere between 5000 and 8000 rentals.
…there is only 37 inspectors of rental properties for 300 000 terrible rentals?
Similar poorly funded regulation is apparent in the 82 labour inspectorates who are supposed to police hundreds of thousands of migrant worker exploitations!
ACT and National’s bullshit dismantling of Capitalism’s police tells you all you need to know about the deregulated hellscape a National/ACT monstrosity would birth into this world!
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Here my submission on the RSB its a comprehensive account IMO about this dangerous law that takes power away from our democratic institutions like the Judiciary.
Dear sir/madam
I am writing to express my opposition to the Regulatory Standards Bill introduced by the ACT Party in November 2024. While I acknowledge the intention behind this bill to streamline regulatory processes and enhance the effectiveness of New Zealand’s regulatory framework, I believe that the creation of a Regulatory Board, as outlined in the bill, poses significant risks to the democratic principles that our nation upholds. The bill’s provisions, particularly the appointment of an unelected regulatory body with sweeping powers, can weaken the authority of both Parliament and the judiciary, creating an unbalanced governance structure that is detrimental to New Zealand’s democratic systems.
One of my primary concerns is that the establishment of a Regulatory Board would diminish the power of Parliament in the decision-making process. By granting this unelected body the authority to interpret and apply regulatory standards, the bill places important decisions outside the control of our elected representatives. This undermines the core function of Parliament as the body responsible for lawmaking, as decisions about regulatory measures, which have far-reaching impacts on New Zealand’s economy, environment, and society, would be made by a small, unelected group rather than by those who are directly accountable to the public. This shift in power raises serious questions about the erosion of democratic accountability and the ability of citizens to influence decisions that affect their lives.
Moreover, the Regulatory Board’s powers could also undermine the role of the judiciary. Courts have historically played a critical role in ensuring that regulations and laws are consistent with our constitutional principles, human rights, and the rule of law. If a Regulatory Board is empowered to circumvent judicial oversight, it may not only weaken the checks and balances inherent in our legal system, but also open the door for regulatory decisions to be made without the necessary judicial scrutiny that protects individual rights and freedoms. The bill’s potential to bypass judicial oversight presents a worrying precedent for the erosion of the independence of the judiciary in New Zealand.
Additionally, the Regulatory Standards Bill could undermine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty is a foundational document that guarantees Māori rights and interests in Aotearoa, and any legislative or regulatory changes must be carefully scrutinized to ensure they align with the Treaty’s commitments. By granting broad powers to an unelected regulatory body, there is a risk that this body may not adequately consider or consult Māori stakeholders in the regulatory process. This could lead to decisions that marginalize Māori interests and fail to uphold the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty, thus exacerbating existing inequities and undermining efforts toward true partnership between the Crown and Māori.
In conclusion, while the intention behind the Regulatory Standards Bill may be to improve the efficiency of New Zealand’s regulatory processes, the creation of an unelected Regulatory Board represents a dangerous concentration of power that could weaken Parliament, the judiciary, and our Treaty obligations. I strongly urge you to reconsider the provisions of this bill and ensure that any regulatory reforms maintain the democratic values and checks and balances that define our governance. New Zealand deserves a regulatory framework that is transparent, accountable, and inclusive, and the proposed bill, as it stands, fails to meet these essential standards.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.
Nga Mihi
Stephen Lennon
Well done, Stephen. That’s the best thing I’ve read in a long time.
It gives me hope that there are enough clever people like you in this country who can articulate what we loyal NZders/Aotearoans/Kiwis (whatever we are), feel.
I emphasise the word ‘loyal’ because I think there’s a lot of treasonous behaviour going on under our very noses, which msm is ignoring.
Considering these two bills could be the most important legislation we’ve seen almost since the Treaty was signed, there’s precious little attention being given to them.
When the Royal Inquiry is established, the actions or inaction of the msm needs to be investigated too.
They are failing miserably in their duty, at the moment.
“It gives me hope that there are enough clever people like you in this country who can articulate”
Nope….he used AI, ChatGTP Joy
Do you honestly think Tipene could write like that.
No it’s the white man’s invention he used lol
I don’t know. When Stephen leaves out the expletives and concentrates on good sentences, he makes some clear points.
If this is AI, I guess most of the submissions from the Hobson’s Choice crowd, TPU, Groundswell and all the other RWs will have used AI as well.
They have no original thinking, nor can they use conjecture.
So, it’s a question of numbers and as usual, I assume your lot have paid for a lot of submissions.
Im right has neither the intellect nor capability to use AI. That much is certain. He is a troll bot from the right.
Oh, for fucks sake ! Why fuck around like this? Why can’t we find our balls and vaginas then roll up our sleeves and kick act and the wee stunted toy-boy dictator into the sea?
Here’s another thing. Are you ready for it? I fucking doubt it. Here it is anyway.
@ Maori? Pay attention. @ farmers? Likewise. @ DOC? Yes, you guys.
Farmers. ( The money.) @ Maori ( The money but also the traditions and culture of an extraordinary people. The Department of Conservation. ( Unity in the interests of sustainability. And you’re above corporate tampering, I know you are.) So who better to lead the charge against a small group of monied psychopaths demanding we burn down our corner of the planet just so’s you can fly your jet 200 kilometers down the road with a nose full of coke and your little dicks out.
My dream team. @ Farmers. @ Maori. @ DOC. The People’s Coalition. My dream action.
Strike, or the equivalent there-of. If you don’t. You and me you you over there will all be fucked.
DoC need to overthrow their corporate managers first. Feudal penny-pinching yes men.
After the election of the first Ardern govt I was rather bemused by Trotter’s dislike of the 3 young economists (well, my age) who spoke for the Left in the Brian Easton mold. First sign the bee in his bonnet was no longer a Lefty?