A Labour MP has leaked to Te Ao Māori News that the Finance and Expenditure Committee has allocated a maximum of just 30 hours for public submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill, split between two subcommittees.
It’s significantly less time compared to what was allowed for the Treaty Principles Bill, and only a third of the hours given for the Fast Track Approvals Bill.
Opponents call it a deliberate attempt to shut down democratic debate on a bill that could have sweeping implications for how all future regulations are made and assessed.
“This is ridiculously short and completely unfair to the thousands of people who want to be heard,” Labour MP, Regulatory Spokesperson, Duncan Webb told Te Ao Māori News.
The Regulatory Standards Bill, long championed by ACT, aims to impose stricter tests on government regulations. However, critics, legal experts and advocacy groups have warned it could undermine social, environmental, and Treaty protections by making it harder to introduce rules in the public interest.
The Committee has yet to release the hearing schedule.
