Regulatory Standards Bill

June 2025 

The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Regulatory Standards Bill. As we did at the consultation stage, we strongly challenge undermining the rights of communities in favour of individual property rights. The exclusion of Te Tiriti and a failure to have meaningful engagement with Māori in the development of this Bill unacceptable. 

Recommendation: We strongly oppose this legislation and recommend the Select Committee does not progress it further.  

Kupu Tūturu | Supporting Points 

Item One – This Bill prioritises individual rights and economic efficiency over collective wellbeing and social obligation. 
In the proposed legislation, individual rights are overwhelmingly prioritised over common good in decision making. This approach risks eliminating policies that serve collective needs – including equitable housing, environmental and climate policies, and public health projects – as they will not meet strict individual or economic criteria. A just and compassionate Aotearoa requires a focus on collective wellbeing.   

Item Two – This Bill fails to recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a binding and relational foundation for lawmaking in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
Te Tiriti is not a historical reference point; it is a covenant that defines the constitutional relationship between tangata whenua and the Crown. By excluding reference to it, this Bill deprioritises its legal, moral, and constitutional significance. This threatens decades of work to repair and strengthen Māori-Crown relationships and undermines the wellbeing of Māori and the ability for this relationship to progress into the future.    

Item Three– This Bill underestimates the complexity of regulating in a manner that supports long-term change and sustainability. 
This legislation’s tight focus on immediate economic efficiency and individual rights overlooks the complex, interconnected challenges found in issues such as climate change, the housing crisis, and social wellbeing. The framework risks producing policy that is unfit for long-term, sustainable action on these matters.  

Ingoa whakapā | Contact Name 

Alicia Sudden [email protected] 
Rachel Mackay