SociaLink Opposes Regulatory Standards Bill
'This Bill is unnecessary, undermines democracy, erodes the Crown's obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and prioritises individuals and property over the public good,' says Liz Davies, Chief Executive of SociaLink.
The Bill proposes introducing a set of principles to evaluate all new and existing legislation, with a heavy focus on protecting individual liberties and property rights. However, SociaLink argues this would undermine public good legislation and exclude core values central to Aotearoa's identity — particularly the omission of any reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
'There are already strong democratic systems in place to evaluate legislation,' she adds.
'Rather than overlaying an ideologically driven framework, we should be improving mechanisms like select committees, public consultation, and Treaty-based processes that reflect the diverse values of our society.'
'If for no other reason, the huge amount of work — and therefore money and time — this Bill would create to require all new and existing legislation to be reviewed is enough reason to reject the Bill,' Davies continues.
'Creating so much unnecessary work would seem to contradict the intention of the Minister of Regulation to encourage greater efficiency.'
Davies also expressed concern over comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister, who has been publicly disparaging widely respected academics — including a New Zealander of the Year — because of differing views.
'I would expect any Minister of the Crown that disagrees with someone else's opinions
to respond respectfully and professionally, as required by the Cabinet Manual,' she said.
'The Bill fails to achieve what it purports to achieve and does not protect communities, collective rights and the environment. This Bill should not proceed,' concludes Davies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Greens want to lead Government, Chris Hipkins not interested in ‘arguing' with them
The Greens have expressed their desire to lead the next Government, with the political party's co-leaders this weekend calling for 'transformational change' and a future driven by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The party's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Wellington this weekend included speeches from Marama Davidson and ChloeADD UMLAUT
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Māori Principals And Leaders Condemn Ministry Of Education's Decision To Remove At The Marae From Schools
Te Akatea Incorporated represents hundreds of Māori principals and leaders throughout Aotearoa. We express our collective outrage and deep disappointment at the Ministry of Education's decision not to reprint the small student reader versions of At the Marae, citing the book's high use of te reo Māori. This decision is a direct attack on our language, a dismissal of our culture, and an assault on our identity as Māori. Our members draw a direct parallel between this action and historic acts of colonisation, such as the Education Ordinance Act of 1847 and the Native Schools Act of 1867. Both acts were designed to eradicate te reo Māori in schools. Removing and resources that celebrate and normalise our language is no different; it is a continuation of those oppressive policies. The Treaty of Waitangi Act was introduced in 1975. This means that for 50 years, Māori and non-Māori educators have worked tirelessly to revitalise te reo Māori and embed it in our schools. This work aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and anti-racist, equity-focused educational practice. Books like At the Marae are vital tools that allow children—97% of Māori in English-medium settings, and many non-Māori who embrace the opportunity—to see, read, and speak our language. We view this decision and the decision Minister Stanford made last year to remove $30 million worth of funding for Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori as acts of educational violence. These practices uphold white supremacist ideology, by sending the message that English is superior and te reo Māori is inferior. These are acts of racism, cultural suppression and are deliberate attempts to recolonise our education system. These acts cause immense harm. We call on the Ministry of Education and the Minister to immediately reverse this decision and reinstate the printing of the small reader versions of At the Marae. Our members would see the reversal of this decision as a reaffirmation of the Ministry's commitment to protecting and promoting te reo Māori as a taonga guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Positive Response To Petition To PNCC For Gaza
The Palmerston North-based advocacy group Thyme4Action has launched a powerful new campaign calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and for Palmerston North City Council to adopt an ethical stance by avoiding contracts with companies complicit in the illegal occupation of Palestine. The group has kicked off their initiative with a community petition urging Council to pass resolutions in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and existing international law relating to the illegally occupied Palestinian Territories. The petition went live online two weeks ago is already gaining widespread support and community backing. The group has been running stalls at local markets gathering signatures for the petition. "We've been pleasantly surprised by the positive response" said Judy Neale of the group. "It has far exceeded our expectations. People are queueing up to sign. We've had few refusals to sign and hardly any hostility. People seem to think it's obvious that as decent human beings we should object to Israel's genocide and destruction in Gaza. There is a real groundswell in the community asking for something to be done about the horrors being committed by the State of Israel". The group plans to present the petition to Council in September and is very hopeful of a positive result.
