Luxon says regulatory standards law should be given a go; National to form opinion on it later

Monday, 1 December 2025

Winston Peters has confirmed his party will campaign against the Regulatory Standards Bill, just days after the bill became law - thanks to NZ First's votes. ACT leader David Seymour says it shows NZ First is looking to work with Labour next year.

The controversial new regulatory standards law should be given a chance to see if it works, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.

The law was championed by ACT leader David Seymour as a way to ensure the regulatory system was transparent, had a mechanism for recourse, and held regulators accountable.

But within days of it becoming law in November, Winston Peters, leader of coalition member NZ First, said he was opposed to the legislation and would campaign against it ahead of the 2026 election.

Last week, Nicola Willis - deputy leader of third coalition member National - said National had not come up with a position on the law, and hadn’t ruled out repealing it.

Asked about National’s opinion on the law on RNZ on Monday, Luxon said it was part of the coalition agreement and commitments, which National honoured.

“It’s only just passed. Let’s see how it works first, and then we can form a position on it later,” Luxon said.

It was put to him that he wasn’t ruling out the possibility of campaigning against the law at the 2026 election.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and ACT leader David Seymour in May 2025, after Seymour was sworn in as deputy prime minister.

Luxon replied that he hadn’t said National would campaign against it.

“What I said to you was that we didn’t campaign on it,” Luxon said.

He repeated that the law should be given a chance.

Last week, National deputy leader Nicola Willis said National hadn’t ruled out repealing the new regulatory standards law.

“If it’s not working, we can address it then, at that point in time,” Luxon said.

“But let’s form our position a bit later, and give it a go.”

He was asked if there was a problem with coalition management if laws were passed as part of coalition agreements, but parties in the coalition then repealed those laws in the next government.

“We’re not doing that. That’s what I just said to you. I think my position was pretty clear,” Luxon said.

“We didn’t campaign on it. It was in the coalition agreement, and it’s just passed, let’s just see how it works - it’s only two weeks into it - and we’ll form a position on it later.”