Monday 19 May 2025

To: Rt Hon Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

Re: Regulatory Standards Bill must be abandoned

Dear Prime Minister,

We write urging you to abandon the current Regulatory Standards Bill in light of the Waitangi Tribunal urgent inquiry findings that the Crown breached its obligations to te Tiriti o Waitangi in the policy development of this Bill.

Further, the Tribunal found that should it be enacted, it would be of constitutional significance, as it seeks to influence the way Parliament makes law, and therefore it is inherently relevant not only to Māori, but to all New Zealanders. If the Bill were introduced or enacted without meaningful consultation with Māori, this would represent further a further breach of te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Not only has the Crown failed to uphold its obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi by not consulting with Māori on this constitutionally significant piece of legislation, but 96 percent of the submissions weren’t even read by the Ministry for Regulation before proposals on next steps were taken to Cabinet.

Of the over 22,000 submissions, just 0.33% of submitters supported or partially supported the proposed bill. The Minister has already stated that despite this clear opposition from experts and members of the public, only small clarifications would be made to the Bill.

For a Bill that claims to attempt to embed ‘good law-making’, the Bill has already breached te Tiriti o Waitangi in its policy development and has completely ignored the significant opposition and feedback provided in over 22,000 submissions.

You said at Waitangi, that te Tiriti o Waitangi was our past, present and future. You, as Prime Minister, have the ultimate responsibility to take on board the findings of the Tribunal and not allow this Bill to go further without genuine engagement and partnership with Māori on this constitutionally significant legislation.

This Bill risks causing deep, divisive and constitutionally significant ramifications for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and for Aotearoa. You must immediately halt the advancement of the Regulatory Standards Bill, as per the Tribunal’s recommendation. 

Nāku noa, nā, 

Marama Davidson 
Green Party of Aotearoa Co-Leader

Francisco Hernandez
Green Party Spokesperson for Regulation