Te Hapori Matihiko opposes the Regulatory Standards Bill (the Bill) because it is dangerous, misleading and threatens the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.
This Bill threatens the foundations of our work in its attack on equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, truth and democratic accountability – all crucial to our collective efforts to create a thriving Aotearoa.
22 June 2025
Finance and Expenditure Committee
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington
Tēnā koutou,
- Te Hapori Matihiko opposes the Regulatory Standards Bill (the Bill) because it is dangerous, misleading and threatens the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.
- The Select Committee must recommend the immediate rejection of the Bill.
- Te Hapori Matihiko serves Māori and their whānau in the digital, innovation and technology sectors and their aspirations for success. Our community provides advocacy, connection and cultural support; empowering whānau Māori to show up authentically and celebrate ourselves as leaders in te ao matihiko. This Bill threatens the foundations of our work in its attack on equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, truth and democratic accountability – all crucial to our collective efforts to create a thriving Aotearoa.
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the foundation of all that we do at Te Hapori Matihiko. This Bill breaches the Crown’s obligations to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and would constitute yet another dishonourable Crown action that perpetuates social, environmental and intergenerational harm.
- The Bill is anti-Māori, anti-environment, and will promote corporate interests over human rights and the wellbeing of communities. This is because the six principles contained in the Bill would function to elevate the political ideologies of the Act party over and above our constitutional foundations including Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Bill of Rights Act. These neo-liberal principles of the Act party have no place in Aotearoa where we value our connection to whānau, hapū, iwi, our communities and taiao.
- Of great concern is the Bill’s principle of ‘formal equality’ (cl(8)(a)(iii)). This would enable a pathway for the removal of equity measures which would result in further harm and negative outcomes for Māori and minority communities. Te Hapori Matihiko actively works to enable Māori to thrive in their aspirations for success and this Bill would undo decades of progress working towards equity for whānau Māori.
- The Bill is also flawed in its process. It is unacceptable that the consultation documents for the Bill failed to disclose the true nature of the Bill’s constitutional impacts – this undermines democratic participation. Furthermore, the Crown accepted in the Waitangi Tribunal inquiry process that the Crown failed to engage Māori in the policy development process as is required. We are now also experiencing a reduced window for public submissions on this Bill. The process by which this Bill has been developed and introduced is therefore entirely unacceptable in its failure to uphold democratic participation and the ignoring of evidence as to the Bill’s flaws.
- The Bill also seeks to create a fundamental shift in where power resides. Through the creation of a Regulatory Standards Board, the Bill would concentrate power away from the judiciary and towards the legislature, this is unacceptable as it would be indicative of a slide towards fascist control.
- Overall, this Bill is dangerous and misleading. The Bill purports to improve law-making, however its true function would be to weaken our human rights regulatory regime, remove rights and protections for Māori and the environment and compromise democratic accountability.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Katie Brown
Tumu Whakarae
Representing Te Hapori Matihiko – over 1,200 Māori in digital and technology.
