Imagine David Seymour looking over the Government’s — and your — shoulder, 24/7.
Under this Bill, if new laws don’t match lawmaking principles set by ACT then ministers must explain why.
Old laws must be checked against these principles too.
What does this mean for health? Regulatory bodies like the Nursing Council of New Zealand might have to defend professional standards against what are essentially political principles.
Bill principles emphasising individual liberty, touted as non-binding, could clash with the likes of cultural safety training and equity-focused requirements – or simply the general collective-good goals of health care.
Meanwhile, wallet-focused principles pushing for benefits to exceed costs don’t sit well with the financially messy work of keeping people healthy and alive. That’s expensive.
Te Tiriti? No mention of it in the principles. It could widen the inequity gap for Māori. It could transplant its own principles over Treaty principles in laws.
Regardless, if passed without proper consultation with Māori, the Bill would breach Treaty principles, the Waitangi Tribunal says.
Actually, the Bill would create what’s been called an anti-Waitangi Tribunal: a board investigating complaints about breaches of ACT’s principles.
The board’s recommendations are non-binding, but health care could be targeted for public complaints and board inquiries.