Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has criticised Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger for opposing the Government’s Regulatory Principles Bill, defended the return of the controversial Three Strikes law, and commented on former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s ongoing international media campaign.
Speaking to chrislynchmedia.com, Seymour said he was disappointed by Mauger’s decision to reject the Regulatory Principles Bill on the grounds it lacked Tikanga-informed approaches.
In the submission, signed by Phil Mauger, it said “We are concerned that the Bill contains no reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga Māori, or Māori participation in decision-making. This omission is significant given the Bill’s intent to establish a normative framework for evaluating the quality of both primary and secondary legislation across the public sector.”
The council submission said “We have explicit statutory obligations as a local authority to support Māori participation and recognise the role of Māori in governance and environmental management. The RMA, the LGA, and local to the South Island, the Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Act 1996 and the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, all require the Council to consult with relevant Māori parties, as acknowledged by Te Tiriti. They are not discretionary and are fundamental to how local authorities are required to operate.
“This omission may discourage councils and other public agencies from adopting Treaty-based or tikanga-informed approaches, particularly where such approaches cannot be easily reconciled with the Bill’s constrained evaluative framework.It also risks legal misalignment, where legislation developed centrally without regard to Treaty principles could undermine or contradict local government’s statutory obligations. More broadly, it may contribute to the normalisation of a regulatory culture in which Māori partnership and participation are not treated as essential components of responsible public policy.”
Phil Mauger / Photo: Supplied
In response to the submission, Seymour said it was “very disappointing. Phil Mauger is usually a sensible guy.”
He argued that including Tikanga in legislation created uncertainty. “If we say that all regulation must be Tikanga-informed, then the question becomes, which Tikanga? There are many iwi, many hapū, and many interpretations.”
Seymour said the Bill aimed to ensure regulation was based on consistent, liberal democratic values including the rule of law, freedom, and proper consultation.
“This is about making sure that regulation is consistent with liberal democratic values. The moment you start saying it must be Tikanga-informed, you actually make it harder to get clarity and harder to get justice.” He warned that New Zealand risked losing legal certainty.
“This country needs to make some serious decisions about how we’re governed, and whether we want to be a modern, liberal democracy, or continue down a path where laws are unclear, inconsistent, or based on who is interpreting custom at the time.”
Seymour also defended the Government’s move to reinstate the Three Strikes law, which imposes tougher sentences on repeat violent offenders.
“The last Government repealed it and said judges already had enough discretion, but what we saw is that they then passed laws saying judges must consider cultural reports, discount sentences, and impose the least restrictive outcome. So judges didn’t have discretion, they had direction.”
He said the Three Strikes law was about making it clear that repeat violent offending would be met with serious consequences.
“Three Strikes gives clarity. If you commit serious violent offences three times, then yes, you will go to jail for longer. That’s what the public expects.”
