Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa Kingi has called the Regulatory Standards Bill “sneaky, shameful, and undemocratic,” accusing the government of misleading the public about its true purpose.

Speaking before the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, Kapa-Kingi warned the bill poses a serious threat to democratic lawmaking and would disproportionately harm tangata whenua and already-marginalised communities.

“This bill has been dressed up in misleading language. The title suggests it’s about minor regulations, but in fact, it cuts across existing and future statutes, that’s a serious breach of transparency.” says Kapa-Kingi.

He also criticised the rushed process, likening it to legislation “creeping through the night” over summer, with little public exposure or time for communities to respond.

“Even our own experts in constitutional law and tikanga Māori needed time to understand this bill. So how can we expect our Aunties, our Uncles, our whānau, already stretched, to engage meaningfully with something deliberately obscured?”

He contrasted the mass mobilisation against the Treaty Principles Bill with the lower engagement around the Regulatory Standards Bill, blaming deliberate obfuscation and a lack of media attention.

Kapa-Kingi says Toitū te Tiriti was a lead claimant in the Waitangi Tribunal claim challenging both the content and process of the bill. He said the bill not only weakens protections for tangata whenua but also threatens the foundational values of Aotearoa.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga are not just for Māori, they are documents of welcome and protection for all peoples. This bill attacks those very foundations.”

The submission adds to growing opposition from across the motu, including Māori leaders, constitutional experts, and even migrant communities, who see the removal of Treaty references as a threat to their place in Aotearoa.

The Bill is due back into the House in September. Full oral submission by Toitū te Tiriti and Eru Kapa Kingi is attached.