Right to Repair bill’s likely demise ‘beyond disappointing’

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Leslie Montero and Leah Montero talk with Cambridge Repair Cafe founder Geoff Bentley.

The likely demise of Marama Davidson’s Right to Repair Bill is “beyond disappointing”, says Paul Smith from the Right to Repair Coalition Aotearoa.

However, Smith said it wasn’t unexpected that the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee recommended that the bill, which would give consumers the “right to repair” items like electronics, not be passed.

It will now go to a second reading in Parliament.

“It’s not killed off yet. The hope is New Zealand First will decide that they will come out of the block and support it,” he said.

But the select committee report on the bill, published on Monday night, voiced the anger of Green and Labour MPs, who believed Government MPs on the select committee engaged in lengthy debates about making improvements to the draft bill when they never intended to back it.

The bill aimed to reduce waste, create a repair workforce and cut costs for consumers by requiring manufacturers to make parts and information more available to consumers, and extending the lifetime of consumer goods.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defends his government’s stance on climate agreements, trade, and farming policies. He says withdrawing from global pacts would harm NZ’s economy and vows to support farmers while balancing international commitments.

But the select committee report voiced opposition MPs’ accusations of bad faith in the committee process.

Select committees make recommendations in their reports for improvements to draft laws like Davidson’s, however, the report on her bill said: “We were unable to agree on whether to recommend amendments to the bill. We therefore report the bill to the House without amendments.”

Opposition MPs on the select committee (Reuben Davidson, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, Scott Willis, and Arena Williams) recorded “serious concerns” about the way the committee conducted its work on this bill.

The portion of the report recording the view of the Labour and Green view, said there was an expectation that committee processes were conducted “in good faith, with open exchange and mutual respect between Government and opposition members”.

“Opposition MPs participated in the reasonable expectation that such engagement was aimed at building genuine cross-party agreement,” it said.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson’s Right to Repair Bill now looks dead, at least until a change of government.

But, they said: “The result was otherwise.”

“The committee spent significant time, and drew on the resources of Parliamentary Counsel and departmental advisors, to explore and draft changes to resolve the concerns of Government members that they then ultimately chose not to support,” they said.

That undermined trust between MPs from different parties, and risked “the perception that the process was used to keep the committee occupied rather than to improve the bill, at a cost to the public purse”, the Labour and Green MPs said.

Right to repair legislation could support a rural repair workforce, according to Federated Farmers. (File photo)

Despite the committee recommending Parliament vote down the bill, rather than improving it, there remain issues of concern to some pro-National voting blocks, including farmers.

These included the amendments proposed by Labour to ensure that independent mechanics could repair cars and farm machinery like tractors, making it easier for farmers to get time-critical repairs done, an amendment supported by Federated Farmers.

Davidson has not admitted defeat, and intended to make changes to her bill ahead of the second reading she hoped would address concerns of Government MPs.

The report showed that around 95% of submissions made on the bill supported it passing into law, with many people saying the bill would reduce waste and costs, remove barriers to repairs, strengthen the repair sector, increase consumer control and safety, and align New Zealand with other jurisdictions like the European Union.

However, some businesses opposed the bill, voicing concerns that it would cost them money, and have unintended consequences, including for health and safety.