Regulatory Standards bill
Aotearoa for sale
David Seymour, Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters have executed a masterstroke in the art of smoke and mirrors, traditionaly the preserve of vauderville magicians. Whilst the country has been focused on “the dead-cat-on-the-table-trick"in the form of ‘The treaty Amemendment Bill’ and knowing full well this bill will die in a ditch, David Seymour has been quietly plotting the passage of his real agenda ‘The regulatory Standards bill’. This pernicious piece of legislation if passed, as seems highly likely, will signal a final victory in his twenty year travail to foist this ‘Libertarian’ vision for the future of New Zealand. One that will see real power and wealth transfered for ever, from parliamentary democracy, into the hands and pockets of an increasingly smaller cabal of elite business and corporate interests.
There have been many bit players in this pantomime of distractions presented to an unsuspecting audience to oooo and argh at whilst getting our knickers in a twist of righteous indignation. The tobacco shenanigans by Costello, the gun crazy antics of McKee, Van Velden's ‘Birchesque’ attacks on conditions of service that hardworking Kiwis now have to endure, Simeon Brown thrown, kicking and screaming, onto the stage truncheon in hand crying - “that's the way to do it!!!” - finding yet another pot hole or 30KPH road sign to fill and/or replace. Then there's the painted woman, Collins, shrieking ‘lock em up!!!’, ‘Mercenary Mitch’ and his obsession with painted leather jackets, along with ‘Nicola-no-boats’ stumbling from one ship-wreck-to-another.
But it's all been subtefuge. A carefully choreographed circus act to deflect attention from what a nasty little Weasel in the human form of David Seymour has been plotting virtually from the day he stepped back onto the shores of Aotearoa from his Canadian sojourn. The ‘Manchurian candidate’ who ineffectually grins at or deflects any questions that challenges the authenticity or validity of his programmed mind set.
Many of us have falsely envisioned Luxon as a weak fool or poodle to Seymour's Machievellian machinations with either no stomach, or political savvy, to understand or grasp what is happening around him, when the reality is, he's been a player all along!!! Every bit as captured and complicit in this ‘libertarian coup d’etat’. Why else would Luxon not give one jot about the crass public image he entertains us with, from tiktok to Facebook and Instagram? He is laughing at us! As a co-conspirator in the sell off to access rights in the carve up of New Zealand to the highest bidder, Luxon stands to make a fortune. To paraphrase George Castanza in Seinfeld’s Chinese restaurant scene, “for 50 bucks, I'd put my face in the soup and blow!”.
How prophetic was Professor Jane Kelcy when titling her book ‘The new Zealand Experiment’? The reality has been that, ever since DavidLange's Labour government ousted Muldoon, New Zealand has been subjected to an inexorable decent into a neoliberal, laissez faire, libertarian, monetarist nightmare where the widening of the gap between rich and poor is obscene and where any pretense that governments of any colour have wanted to stall this division are illusary. I urge all readers of this substack to find time to make a submission against this dreadful bill, and to restack this missive for others who you know. Inaction is simply not an option.
A timely reminder, Mike. Now that TPB submissions are closing, we need to spread your message far and wide. As well as making a submission, I suggest we publicly ask the coalition party leaders if their party supports the RSB. I have asked on fb and received no response, so will try other avenues. We all should, all over the place! In regard to submissions, it is worth noting that the bill embeds neo-liberal principles and values, all underpinned by a focus on property rights. There is nothing there to require consideration of environmental protection, social inclusion, social justice, community enhancement, equity etc. Ignoring the "other" values associated with such consideration threatens our democracy, especially since this government has demonstrated its willingness to do what it wants, irrespective of official, expert or end-user advice. I will be letting the committee know that if the RSB is passed, this great-grandmother will engage in as much protest and/or civil disobedience it takes to get it rescinded.
Done and promoted. There’s a lot of information floating around the socials on how to do it, including templates and generously shared submissions. Only a week to go, so don't delay!