We call on the New Zealand Government to:

Immediately withdraw the Regulatory Standards Bill.

Publicly commit to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in all legislative processes.
Disclose all affiliations and funding sources of political parties and think tanks influencing this reform.
Protect Aotearoa’s whenua, wai, and taonga from corporate exploitation and privatisation.

Why is this important?

The proposed Regulatory Standards Bill poses a direct threat to Aotearoa’s sovereignty, our environment, and the rights of tangata whenua under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This Bill would give corporations the power to challenge laws they claim “unfairly restrict economic freedom”—including laws that protect our water, forests, and social safety nets.

It’s being pushed by think tanks tied to the Atlas Network, a global lobby that advances corporate deregulation and free-market fundamentalism. We’ve seen this playbook in other countries—where such laws have undermined Indigenous rights, public services, and environmental protections.

We cannot allow the same thing to happen here.

This is a direct attack on tino rangatiratanga, community wellbeing, and the mana of our whenua.

We must act now to stop this dangerous Bill.