While the Bill itself makes me shiver, I am further chilled by how there seems to be a deliberate attempt to keep it under the radar. It does not appear in the list of Bills open for submissions on parliament's website, but needs to be accessed via the Ministry for Regulation (https://consultation.regulation.govt.nz/rsb/have-your-say-on-regulatory-standards-bill/consultation/intro/). The media, for the most part are silent on the matter. If anyone has any influence on MSM journalists, please ask them to report on whether National and NZ First support the Bill, how they voted at the last reading, what, if anything they would want changed in the current version, and whether they condone the absence of any values other than the dollar underpinning the Bill?
I agree with you Maxine - I often find the difference between when the Taxpayers Union, Groundswell etc - all puppetered with Jordan Williams' help - were shouting last year and now quite chilling.
Ditto our corporate media.
Remember the ram raid hysteria? Remember the journalists' fervour and enthusiasm?
That's no more - and it's disappointing and disconcerting.
I'd add - this government are masterful manipulators so their strategy of deflect, deny and attack is aimed to shut down journalists.
I'm also aware that they refuse to be interviewed by certain journalists in e.g. RNZ - ie. they are playing the system to their advantage once again.
Thanks for this excellent summary. Although I know it's not exactly the same, I can't help but feel this might be our equivalent of what the "Citizens United" case was for the US. I'm sure a bill to, say, restrict the magnitude and influence of political donations would be considered an infringement of "liberty". And therefore bad for "productivity" somehow.
"Productivity", like a lot of economic concepts, is something I only vaguely understand. It, like GDP debt/tax limits, seems rather arbitrarily defined. I'm unsure why there's so much obsession with these and so little with *actual* biophysical planetary limits. The latter are, perhaps, less convenient. When many NACT voters think of productivity I expect they are just having their prejudices confirmed that other people don't work as hard as they do.
Productivity does have an economic definition - something akin to getting more out output from the same input.
e.g. email in theory increased our productivity because now I don't have to hand write or print, put something in an envelope, label it, and go to a post office to send a correspondence (Never mind I am now writing emails all day and night instead!)
But you are spot on in that they use vaguely opaque and dubious concepts.
When I read the Newsroom piece, ACT were using terms like "agile" and blah blah etc
The best way I think of it is "removal of red tape increases efficiency" - tell that to Greenfell Tower where the UK Tories stripped out building codes that allowed the fire to engulf the residential tower in London so quickly and tragically.
I find that one a good way to relay the danger of their concepts and high minded ideals and talk.
The whole thing is a corporate sloganism on steriods - it's manipulative language designed to deceive the masses - and by the time it's done, people are unaware of the causes and effects.
It relies on ignorance and preys on weakness and apathy.
Re: NACT voters, I suspect you could be right, that, and I've always thought they would associate it with "becoming a wealthier country"
National is ACT’s beard, and they own all of the issues this is going to create. Ironically Seymour is not going to be this minister for long and eventually the left will get their hands on this power. Just like autocracy it is great if you are on their side, until the authoritarian changes. They whole reason to have a House of Representatives is to debate and vote on laws to make sure that they are “good” by using shortcuts of urgency, fast track and no regulatory standards they are doing the opposite.
Make no mistake, this is not something dreamt up for the best interest of New Zealanders, it is for dismantling hard won democratic protections so that big moneyed interests can sweep away opposition from the ordinary people of our country
An accurate synopsis, in my view. For anyone who is skeptical, they only need to look at this government's track record within a year - and the fast-track bill and their amendment of our Overseas Investment Act is testimony to their intentions.
Thank you for prodding me on it, KSJ. To be honest, for the last couple of months, I've been thinking in the back of my mind - "They are changing the laws in the background without us noticing" and yet I didn't care to write about it because there is too much thrown.
It feels as if the onslaught is all encompassing right now, more than the Steve Bannon “flood the zone with crap” style. There is simply so much happening at once and it’s all important, I guess that’s their strategy. To overwhelm us. I see many people write about important issues but you Tui have a great skill for bringing it all together, in a very accessible way. You cut through the crap for us 🙏.
Thank you, Maxine for giving us the link for making a submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill. How devious of them to not have it on the usual site for submissions. I have just spent over an hour writing my submission. At first it looked completely overwhelming as there are so many questions, many of which meant very little to me. In the end I wrote what I wanted to say and repeated it into every space they gave me.
So, when you make your submission, don’t be put off by the deviousness, just do it your way.
While the Bill itself makes me shiver, I am further chilled by how there seems to be a deliberate attempt to keep it under the radar. It does not appear in the list of Bills open for submissions on parliament's website, but needs to be accessed via the Ministry for Regulation (https://consultation.regulation.govt.nz/rsb/have-your-say-on-regulatory-standards-bill/consultation/intro/). The media, for the most part are silent on the matter. If anyone has any influence on MSM journalists, please ask them to report on whether National and NZ First support the Bill, how they voted at the last reading, what, if anything they would want changed in the current version, and whether they condone the absence of any values other than the dollar underpinning the Bill?
I agree with you Maxine - I often find the difference between when the Taxpayers Union, Groundswell etc - all puppetered with Jordan Williams' help - were shouting last year and now quite chilling.
Ditto our corporate media.
Remember the ram raid hysteria? Remember the journalists' fervour and enthusiasm?
That's no more - and it's disappointing and disconcerting.
I'd add - this government are masterful manipulators so their strategy of deflect, deny and attack is aimed to shut down journalists.
I'm also aware that they refuse to be interviewed by certain journalists in e.g. RNZ - ie. they are playing the system to their advantage once again.
Absolutely with you MT!
Thank you, Maxine, for alerting us on where to make our submissions
Thanks for this excellent summary. Although I know it's not exactly the same, I can't help but feel this might be our equivalent of what the "Citizens United" case was for the US. I'm sure a bill to, say, restrict the magnitude and influence of political donations would be considered an infringement of "liberty". And therefore bad for "productivity" somehow.
"Productivity", like a lot of economic concepts, is something I only vaguely understand. It, like GDP debt/tax limits, seems rather arbitrarily defined. I'm unsure why there's so much obsession with these and so little with *actual* biophysical planetary limits. The latter are, perhaps, less convenient. When many NACT voters think of productivity I expect they are just having their prejudices confirmed that other people don't work as hard as they do.
Your comment is excellent.
Productivity does have an economic definition - something akin to getting more out output from the same input.
e.g. email in theory increased our productivity because now I don't have to hand write or print, put something in an envelope, label it, and go to a post office to send a correspondence (Never mind I am now writing emails all day and night instead!)
But you are spot on in that they use vaguely opaque and dubious concepts.
When I read the Newsroom piece, ACT were using terms like "agile" and blah blah etc
The best way I think of it is "removal of red tape increases efficiency" - tell that to Greenfell Tower where the UK Tories stripped out building codes that allowed the fire to engulf the residential tower in London so quickly and tragically.
I find that one a good way to relay the danger of their concepts and high minded ideals and talk.
The whole thing is a corporate sloganism on steriods - it's manipulative language designed to deceive the masses - and by the time it's done, people are unaware of the causes and effects.
It relies on ignorance and preys on weakness and apathy.
Re: NACT voters, I suspect you could be right, that, and I've always thought they would associate it with "becoming a wealthier country"
National is ACT’s beard, and they own all of the issues this is going to create. Ironically Seymour is not going to be this minister for long and eventually the left will get their hands on this power. Just like autocracy it is great if you are on their side, until the authoritarian changes. They whole reason to have a House of Representatives is to debate and vote on laws to make sure that they are “good” by using shortcuts of urgency, fast track and no regulatory standards they are doing the opposite.
Thanks MT. Accurate reflection of part of the strategy by Gibbs via act and atlas (assisted by paid off media) to control New Zealand.
Shared and I will make a submission against it
Cheers Rob.
Make no mistake, this is not something dreamt up for the best interest of New Zealanders, it is for dismantling hard won democratic protections so that big moneyed interests can sweep away opposition from the ordinary people of our country
An accurate synopsis, in my view. For anyone who is skeptical, they only need to look at this government's track record within a year - and the fast-track bill and their amendment of our Overseas Investment Act is testimony to their intentions.
That, and Luxon singing out loud.
Thank you Tui! I will be writing submissions for both bills this week.
Thank you for prodding me on it, KSJ. To be honest, for the last couple of months, I've been thinking in the back of my mind - "They are changing the laws in the background without us noticing" and yet I didn't care to write about it because there is too much thrown.
It feels as if the onslaught is all encompassing right now, more than the Steve Bannon “flood the zone with crap” style. There is simply so much happening at once and it’s all important, I guess that’s their strategy. To overwhelm us. I see many people write about important issues but you Tui have a great skill for bringing it all together, in a very accessible way. You cut through the crap for us 🙏.
I try and thank you KSJ - I always am happy to read you - your energy and care.
In my layman terms, I already noted this year was about laying down the tracks for their runway.
It's going to be ugly.
Thank you for being here. 🙏
Indeed you do MT! And we love you for it!!
Evil
Thank you, Maxine for giving us the link for making a submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill. How devious of them to not have it on the usual site for submissions. I have just spent over an hour writing my submission. At first it looked completely overwhelming as there are so many questions, many of which meant very little to me. In the end I wrote what I wanted to say and repeated it into every space they gave me.
So, when you make your submission, don’t be put off by the deviousness, just do it your way.