Libertarian laws by stealth

How ACT and Atlas Network are seeking to rewrite our laws

The Ministry for Regulation is currently consulting on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB). This Bill will come to Parliament in the first half of 2025.

This sneaky wee beastie of a bill is an underhand attempt by ACT to implement the Atlas Networks libertarian ideology of individual liberty, property rights, limited government, and free markets.

Together, the Treaty Principles Bill and the RSB are an attempt to remove current constraints so that corporations can exploit our land and our people. They are also a naked attempt to remove government commitments to equity, and to achieving health and well-being for all. Melanie Nelson has a great in-depth write up in her post:

The Overshadowed Bill Poised to Rewrite New Zealand’s Legal System

The RSB would require that new legislation and regulation—and all existing legislation within 10 years—should adhere to a specific set of libertarian principles. These include selected elements of the rule of law, equality before the law, individual freedoms, property rights, restrictions on government, and constraints on taxes and charges.

We know that the creation of a flourishing society requires careful thought beyond these simplistic ideas.

We know that wealth flows upwards and is hoarded - Thomas Piketty in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century gives a thorough explainer of how this works. We know that growing inequity harms us all - Richard Wilkenson and Kate Pickett detail this in their book, The Spirit Level. I could go on, but you get my point - there is a whole body of thoughtful, detailed, careful work out there regarding human flourishing and how we achieve it. (Hint: it isn’t via libertarian ideals).

You can submit on the RSB until the 13 January - link to the consultation survey here. The information provided in submissions will be used by the Ministry of Regulation to shape a Bill that will be introduced into the House next year in the first half of 2025.