David Seymour has welcomed the huge amount of public interest in his controversial proposed law, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund.

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An outpouring of interest

Submissions on the controversial treaty principles bill closed yesterday afternoon, following an extension triggered by technical issues that crashed parliament’s website. While the finally tally of online submissions on the bill won’t be known until tomorrow, it’s almost certainly going to break records. The Post’s Anna Whyte reported that more than 300,000 submissions were made online prior to the deadline being extended, meaning the final number will be well in excess of that. In addition, thousands of hard copy submissions were delivered to parliament. David Seymour, the bill’s architect, told Stuff’s Glenn McConnell that the public response was a good thing. “Even people who don’t support my bill appear to be supporting the idea of mass participation in what the Treaty means in 2025. I think that is very, very exciting,” he said.

The path from here

So what happens next? The justice select committee will meet on Thursday to decide how it goes about handling the vast number of submissions. This will include deciding how to deal with submissions made using template forms provided by groups both in favour and against the bill to make providing feedback quicker. As soon as is possible, accepted submissions will be released to the public. The committee will also decide how to hear oral submissions, with these expected to be wrapped up by the end of next month. Not everyone who requested the chance to share their feedback in person or on Zoom will be able to do so, however. Justice committee chair James Meager, reported The Herald’s Adam Pearse, said that the committee had “received more requests for oral submissions than we will be able to accommodate, so only a small proportion of submitters will be able to be heard from”.

Speaking to The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire last year, Meager said the select committee intended to treat the submissions on the bill as it would with any other piece of proposed legislation, despite the fact it is destined not to pass its second reading. “It is still, I think, worth having the conversation when it comes before us and treating it with the respect that you treat any other piece of legislation.”

The committee is due to report back following consultation in May.

Surge of submissions on regulations proposal

Meanwhile, a wave of late submissions were also delivered ahead of the release of another bill also championed by Act leader David Seymour. The Regulatory Standards Bill doesn’t even exist yet, and yet close to 23,000 submissions were received on a discussion document intended to inform the drafting of the bill, reported RNZ’s Lillian Hanly. There has been increased awareness of the future bill as it’s drawn into the orbit of the treaty principles bill, noted Hanly. Many of the submissions – around 80% – came in the final four days of the consultation period. The Spinoff’s Lyric Waiwiri-Smith has a good explainer on the proposed bill this morning, noting that some see the bill as a natural companion to the treaty principles bill. Lady Tureiti Moxon, chairwoman of the National Urban Māori Authority, has argued the proposed bill poses “a dangerous direct threat to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of Māori”.

It’s not Act’s first attempt at having a regulatory standards bill become law, but due to its inclusion in the coalition agreement with National, this time it will pass.

Arms Act ‘rewrite’ up for consultation

If you’re wondering if there are any other controversial proposed law changes open for consultation, well, you’re in luck. The government’s intended rewrite of the Arms Act is open for submissions, reports Farmer’s Weekly, and will run through until the end of next month. Responses to the Ministry of Justice discussion document will help inform the government’s planned law update. Associate justice minister Nicole McKee said the government wanted to ensure that New Zealand had a “fit-for-purpose regime” for controlling firearms, with “public safety and simple, effective regulatory processes at its heart”. As of last year, McKee wouldn’t rule out trying to re-introduce semi-automatic firearms outlawed in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attack.