Five Million Voices

Should new and existing legislation be assessed against a set of legislated regulatory principles, with a Regulatory Standards Board reviewing whether statements about that consistency are accurate?

The bill establishes a set of regulatory principles in legislation and requires new laws to be accompanied by a consistency accountability statement assessing them against those principles. It creates a Regulatory Standards Board and gives the Ministry for Regulation powers to review existing legislation and request information from departments.

⚡ Taken under urgency

Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (first reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.

MPs’ arguments for and against the bill

Why support it
  • Supporters argued the bill creates transparency by requiring new laws to be accompanied by consistency accountability statements that identify costs imposed on individuals' liberty and property.
  • Supporters said it mirrors existing accountability institutions like the Public Finance Act and Bill of Rights Act, exposing impacts without preventing Parliament from passing laws it chooses.
  • Supporters contended that poorly assessed regulation has caused real costs to individuals, and that a Regulatory Standards Board would act as a watchdog to keep such assessments accurate and public.
Why oppose it
  • Opponents said fewer than 1 percent of submitters supported the bill and that civil society bodies viewed it as unworkable and not reflective of good regulatory practice.
  • Opponents argued it embeds a particular set of values prioritising property rights while omitting principles such as equity, the Treaty of Waitangi, public health, and the environment.
  • Opponents said it duplicates existing scrutiny processes at significant cost and gives an unelected, ministerially appointed board the role of second-guessing decisions properly made by Parliament.

These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.

Full bill summary & link to official bill page

The bill sets out a list of regulatory principles in legislation, covering matters such as the rule of law, personal liberties, property rights, taxation and the role of the courts. It requires new legislation to be accompanied by a "consistency accountability statement" that assesses the proposal against these principles and publicly discloses any inconsistencies, though it does not require laws to actually be consistent with them. It creates a Regulatory Standards Board to assess legislation (with non-binding findings) and gives the Ministry for Regulation powers to review existing law and request information from departments. It affects lawmakers and government agencies.

The bill originates with the ACT Party and its leader David Seymour, reflecting a commitment in the National-ACT coalition agreement. Supporters describe it as a mild transparency measure that improves the quality and discipline of regulation. Opponents argue it addresses a problem that does not exist, elevates a particular ideology such as property rights, risks exposing the Crown to compensation claims, and, as the Waitangi Tribunal warned, was advanced without adequate consultation with Māori.

See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.

Oppose (No) Support (Yes)

Regulatory Standards Bill · Third Reading, 13 Nov 2025
Parliament voted 68–55 — it passed.