The Regulatory Standards Bill: ACT’s Backdoor to Power

A guest newsletter from Simon Bell.

The number one biggest game
It's when they gain the most fame
It's like a race to the top
Because they wanna be boss
They don't care who they step on
As long as they get along
Politicians in my eyes

Songwriter: Bobby Hackney.

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Today, I’m very pleased to bring to you this guest newsletter on the Regulatory Standards Bill by Simon Bell. You can read a little about him at the end. In the meantime, it’s over to Simon…

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The most dangerous bill you’ve never heard of is being rushed through Parliament, and it could rewrite the rules of lawmaking in Aotearoa.

In our last post, we pulled back the curtain on David Seymour. This time, we reveal the bill that could turn his fringe agenda into law.

It’s called the Regulatory Standards Bill.

Seymour says it’s about “freedom” and “personal responsibility”. He claims it’s how we’ll “build a winning economy” by restoring power to the individual and rewarding innovation.

But let’s be honest about the kind of freedom he’s actually offering:

• The freedom for corporations to challenge laws that get in the way of their profits.

• The freedom for polluters to fight back against climate and conservation laws – and bill the public for getting in their way.

• The freedom to erase Te Tiriti from our lawmaking process.

• The freedom for elites you didn’t elect to discredit laws you voted for.

So how does he plan to deliver that so-called freedom?

The bill creates a powerful new board – the Regulatory Standards Panel – with the authority to scrutinise, delay, and discredit any law passed by Parliament.

This board is unelected. It doesn't answer to voters.

And here’s the kicker:

It’s handpicked by one person – the Minister for Regulation.

Right now, that’s David Seymour.

He wrote the bill. He would appoint the board. And under the proposed framework, he decides which laws get reviewed – and which ideological 'principles' they’re judged against.

And those principles? They’re not neutral. They’re imported, ultra-libertarian ideals like minimal regulation and property rights. There’s no mention of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. No protection for workers. Nothing for renters or the environment.

What would that mean in practice?

Imagine your community wins a hard-fought battle to stop a toxic waste site being built near your child’s school. Parliament passes a law to protect your health and land. Then the company appeals.

Seymour’s board reviews the law – and throws it out for violating property rights. The waste site goes ahead. And you pay the company compensation for the inconvenience.

Property rights matter, but in this bill, they’re treated as absolute, overriding environmental protections, public health, and even democratic decisions. That’s not balance – it’s corporate privilege dressed up as principle.

And it doesn’t end there. The panel's assessments could serve as powerful tools for interest groups – like landlords, lobbyists, polluters, and payday lenders – to challenge regulations that threaten their profits, potentially leading to increased litigation and pressure on lawmakers.

That’s not freedom. That’s corporate rule, dressed up in libertarian language.

This isn’t reform. It’s a direct attack on public power – and the right of people to shape the laws they live under.

And here’s what makes it even more outrageous:

He has no public mandate to hand himself this kind of power – but he’s doing it anyway, quietly, while no one’s looking.

What do the experts say?

The NZ Law Society says the bill would let an unelected board “sit in judgment over Parliament.”

Prof Jane Kelsey calls it “a corporate Trojan horse.”

The NZ Council for Civil Liberties says it’s “an affront to democracy.”

The Environmental Defence Society warns it replaces evidence with ideology.

Prof Jonathan Boston calls it “the most radical constitutional proposal of our time.”

Toitū Te Tiriti warns the bill could be used to dismantle Treaty-based laws – “without the public even knowing it's happening.”

So what’s the problem it’s supposed to solve?

That’s the thing. There isn’t one.

New Zealand ranks among the highest globally for regulatory quality. According to the World Bank's Regulatory Quality Indicator, New Zealand scored approximately 1.91 out of 2.5 in 2023, placing it well above the global average.

So if there’s no problem to fix, what’s the real agenda?

Simple: it’s not about better lawmaking. It’s about making sure corporate interests can rewrite the rules – and shielding that process from public scrutiny.

One of the most alarming parts? What the bill leaves out.

There is no mention of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

That means any law that affirms tangata whenua rights – or honours Te Tiriti obligations – could be singled out and undermined by this new board.

This isn’t an accident. It’s by design.

Seymour has made his views clear. He calls the Waitangi Tribunal “undemocratic”.

But this bill establishes a new, unelected board – appointed by the Minister for Regulation and operating under his direction – that could exert significant influence over Parliament's law-making processes, potentially undermining democratic accountability.

So which is it? Is he against unelected institutions on principle – or just the ones grounded in Te Tiriti and tikanga?

This isn’t just about David Seymour. It’s about locking in a system where corporate ideology outlives elections – and unelected elites get to pull the strings long after the public has had its say.

Let’s not forget: Māori have fought for generations to have a say in the laws that shape their lives. This bill threatens to undo all of that and replace it with corporate ideology.

They’re hoping you won’t notice.

They’re counting on confusion, exhaustion, and silence.

But they forgot one thing: we’re still watching.

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What you can do:

• Make a submission by 23 June. It doesn’t have to be long – just speak from the heart. (Link here)

• Email NZ First MPs – especially Winston Peters. They’re the only government party that can still block this bill.

• Talk to your friends, whānau, and colleagues. This bill survives in silence. Let’s not give it that chance.

• Share this post. The more people know, the harder it becomes for them to pass this in the dark.

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A big thank you to Ace Brownstone for letting me pinch a few of his ideas along the way.

Sources:

1. Regulatory Standards Bill 27-1 (2021), Members Bill – New Zealand Legislation

2. Law Society raises concerns over Regulatory Standards Bill | NZ Lawyer

3. Regulatory Standards Bill should be stopped in its tracks | Environmental Defence Society (EDS)

4. Submission: Consultation on proposed Regulatory Standards Bill – NZ Council for Civil Liberties

5. The Regulatory Standards Bill: What you need to know | RNZ News

6. Toitū te Tiriti file urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim on Regulatory Standards Bill | RNZ News

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Simon Bell is a disability support worker from Aotearoa. He never planned to get involved in politics, but this government’s cruelty toward those already struggling left him no choice. He writes from the front lines of a broken system, where silence is no longer an option.

Simon selected the song today; here’s “Politicians In My Ears” by Death. Great stuff, and thank you very much for your article - very well said, that man.