GUEST POST – TANIA WAIKATO
Are you sick of the coalition of chaos?
Today David Seymour ascends to Deputy Prime Minister in the second half of a term of government that has done more damage to race relations in this country than any other in living history. But it’s not just Māori who are under fire from the seemingly never-ending obsession to serve corporations instead of the people. It’s everyone who isn’t wealthy.
From cutting pay equity for women and funding for disabled support, to handing out tax cuts to people that own more than one house and reviving a once destined for death tobacco industry, you really have to ask – who does this government truly serve?
The Regulatory Standards Bill is an ugly name for an ugly Bill. But the opportunity that this piece of attempted constitutional vandalism by David Seymour and the ACT party represents to potentially crack this coalition wide open is one that anyone who doesn’t want David Seymour running this country permanently should grab with both hands – because we only have a fleeting window until the 23 of June to do it.
Am I talking about a snap election? Absolutely. How? Let me explain.
The coalition agreements that birthed the current legislative monstrosity included an agreement to pass “a” Regulatory Standards Act “as soon as practicable”. This Bill has been on the ACT party’s Christmas wish list for more than twenty years and has been voted down on the three previous attempts to pass it. On the most recent attempt in 2021, the Regulatory Standards Bill was blocked by an unhappy Treasury, who knew that the provisions that will allow for companies to sue the government if they pass laws infringing their property rights could bankrupt our country. Yes, you heard me correctly. The current Regulatory Standards Bill could wind up giving your hard- earned taxpayer dollars to multibillion dollar corporations. Sound like a bad idea? Treasury used to think so too.
But now both National and NZ First have agreed to let this ultimate restraint on the independence of Parliament and dog collar to the might of overseas foreign interests be strapped around the neck of the Beehive. Or have they?
The day immediately following our Toitū te Tiriti Waitangi Tribunal hearing into the Regulatory Standards Bill on 14 May — which found that the Crown had breached the Treaty Principles by failing to consult with Māori on this Bill due to its constitutional significance — Newsroom released a story quoting NZ First leader, Winston Peters:
“Winston Peters has revealed New Zealand First is seeking changes to Act leader David Seymour’s controversial Regulatory Standards Bill, describing the law as “a work in progress”. Peters’ remarks come despite his party’s obligation to support the law through its coalition agreement with National.
However, asked by Newsroom on Thursday whether New Zealand First was fully supportive of the Regulatory Standards Bill, Peters said: “Put it this way: it is a work in progress still, substantially.” Peters confirmed his party was seeking changes to the bill but did not explain what those were, saying they would be shared “in due course as those changes are made”.
In further comments after Question Time, he said he was confident the law would be drafted in such a way that New Zealand First could support it, but did not say what would happen if that was not the case.”
Well let’s talk about what might happen, if that is not the case. And more to the point, let’s talk about what might happen if there is an almighty backlash of submissions in opposition made on this dangerous Bill over the next three weeks on a similar scale to the 300,000 submissions made on David Seymour’s most recent project – the Treaty Principles Bill.
In a brilliant article published this week in The Post, former Green Party leader Russell Norman took us all on a stroll down memory lane to remind us (and Winston Peters) that it was less than a decade ago that NZ First introduced the “Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill” that aimed to stop the exact disaster that the Regulatory Standards Bill now seeks to create – allowing powerful multinational companies to sue the government for compensation whenever a new law affects their “property” rights. Russell wrote:
“NZ First still maintains it will ensure “that the government always serves in the interests of all New Zealanders”. But this bill tries to redefine our constitutional and legal order so it serves corporate interests instead of New Zealanders.
NZ First has the power to stop it. Winston became famous for helping to end the new right revolution of the 1980s and 90s, it would be a shame if he ended his career dancing to Roger Douglas’ tune.”
Winston Peters steps down today as Deputy Prime Minister, having served the full first-half of the Coalition government’s term in order to make way for David Seymour to have his turn as second in command. But anyone who is old enough to remember why Winston Peters was dubbed the “King-Maker” after holding the balance of power to create a position for himself as Deputy Prime Minister under both a National-led and Labour-led coalition government will know this. Winston has a plan. Winston always has a plan.
And whether that plan includes cutting David Seymour’s reign as Deputy Prime Minister short in order to honour the long-held roots of the NZ First party that pledged to always put New Zealanders first by blocking the Regulatory Standards Bill, and causing a snap election remains to be seen. All I can tell you is this. If you make a submission against the Regulatory Standards Bill, it just might.
