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January 06, 2026
SummerSeries: Why the Regulatory Standards Bill Mattered – One of Waatea’s Biggest Conversations of 2025
Matthew Tukaki
Posted On January 6, 2026
As Radio Waatea reflects on the stories that shaped our whānau, our communities and our nation over the past year, one kaupapa stands out as both urgent and widely debated – the Regulatory Standards Bill.
In an opinion piece published on 20 November 2025, Waatea News argued that the Bill represents a serious threat to democratic values and tino rangatiratanga in Aotearoa. You can read the original article here:
The article described the Bill as “a disaster for Māori and every Kiwi”, arguing that it would prioritise the interests of corporate boards over those of everyday people, human rights and the obligations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It made the case that allowing unelected corporate interests a role in vetting legislation undermines democracy itself.
Throughout 2025, Waatea’s coverage of this issue sparked widespread kōrero – in news bulletins, talkback shows and community discussions on air and online. Many Māori leaders, listeners and commentators engaged with the question of how laws should be made, whose voices should be centred, and what it means for Māori sovereignty when legislative processes are influenced by powerful economic interests.
It was one of Waatea’s biggest kaupapa of 2025 – because it wasn’t just about one piece of legislation. It was about who gets to shape the future of Aotearoa, how the rights guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi are honoured in law, and how communities see themselves represented in the structures that govern all of us.
As part of our SummerSeries, we’re revisiting discussions like this so we can think together – in te reo and in English – about what sort of country we want for our tamariki and mokopuna.
Read the full original Waatea News article here:
https://waateanews.com/2025/11/20/655718/
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