NZ First leader Winston Peters told Radio Waatea his party will repeal the Regulatory Standards Bill if re-elected. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has vowed to repeal the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB) if re-elected next year.
It's prompted the bill's key proponent, ACT leader David Seymour, to warn Peters could be jumping ship to Labour.
Peters told Radio Waatea's Dale Husband he wanted the bill gone earlier on Thursday, having voted it through its third reading this time last week.
"It was their deal, the ACT Party's deal with the National Party. We were opposed to this from the word go but you've only got so many cards you can play.
"We did our best to neutralise its adverse effects and we will campaign at the next election to repeal it."
The Bill is the brainchild of ACT Party leader and Minister for Regulation David Seymour, who says it will "help New Zealand get its mojo back".
It seeks to limit future lawmakers from introducing what Seymour considers unnecessary red tape into legislation, prioritising private property rights.
As part of this, it proposes establishing a Regulatory Standards Board, which would assess whether proposed laws align with several principles outlined in the Bill.
The Bill has faced fierce pushback from the public, with more than 98 percent of public submissions opposed.
Its critics say the principles are ideological, could favour big corporations, and would add delays and cost to lawmaking.
Speaking at Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Peters said he had done his best to "fix" the bill up.
"That sort of intervention in the democratic process is not fit for a modern democracy.
"It was in the coalition agreement but we will campaign against it in 2026."
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
'Sounds like he's getting ready to go with Labour again' - Seymour
Seymour said it was a "pretty worrying" development.
"That's Labour's position. It sounds like he's getting ready to go with Labour again.
"This is a landmark piece of legislation that ACT would never vote to get rid of so if he wants to do that, he's got to go with Labour.
"What's more, for the best interests of New Zealand, we need to get on top of red tape and regulation. It's making us poorer. It's ruining lives. It's ruining our country and the Regulatory Standards Act is there to do exactly that; cut the red tape long term."
Asked if he thought Peters was respecting the conventions of Cabinet, Seymour said it was an interesting question.
"Frankly, the government's position is to have the Regulatory Standards Act and continue to develop it.
"I would have thought of all the things we could be focused on right now for New Zealand, it would be how do we get the cost of living under control, get some economic activity back, rather than speculating about what you might do in another scenario that the voters haven't even had a say on yet."
Seymour said the RSB was non-negotiable for his party.
"We've worked on this for 20 years because red tape is strangling our country, and the regulatory standards act is the way to deal with it."
Asked if he was gearing up to work with Labour next year, Peters laughed.
"Don't make me laugh," he said.
Luxon downplays significance of public spat
Prime Minster Christopher Luxon downplayed the significance of the public spat when asked if Peters was respecting the coalition.
"Each party will have its own policies going into an election but as a coalition government we've passed the bill, now it's about making sure it works effectively."
National's campaign chair Chris Bishop didn't rule out his party supporting a repeal of the RSB.
"Put it this way, it was not National Party policy to have a Regulatory Standards Act going into the 2023 election.
"We now have a Regulatory Standards Act as a result of the coalition and I think everyone knows that as part of our MMP system governments are formed and there are tradeoffs made, and compromises, and agreements made, and that is now the law and we will have our own policy going into 2026.
"Mr Peters has set out his stall, we will set out our stall in due course."
Bishop said Seymour's assertion Peters was positioning himself to work with Labour next year was "an overead of the situation".
Labour's deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said it was great Peters had committed to repealing the RSB, though it was too early to talk about who her party was willing to work with.
"We're not going to make any decisions on who we're going to have a coalition arrangement with at this point in time. I think the general public will be happy that there's some things different political parties can agree on.
"There's a high level of concern about that particular bill and so I think there'll be some relief that another political party from the other side is making the same decision Labour already has."
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