ACT Leader Rodney Hide says some of his Cabinet colleagues are opposed to his legislative proposal to cut regulations as they wish to force feed New Zealand "regulatory lard" due to political expediency.
The Regulatory Responsibility Bill has been on the books for years, since Mr Hide introduced its as a member's bill in 2006.
It was set to fail under the last government, but Mr Hide had been hoping for a more favourable response from National.Today, in notes for a speech to Christchurch business people, Mr Hide praised the bill, which he said would "unclog the arteries of freedom" and ensure those who "wish to force feed us regulatory lard are held to account".
However there were some who saw it "as an inconvenient bridle on their gallop towards political expediency"."I say to these people, and particularly those who take this view around the Cabinet table, that there comes a time in the Government that you must do what is right, rather than what is easiest," Mr Hide said.
The commerce select committee which examined the bill in the last parliamentary session recommended that the bill should be thrown out.They recommended it be replaced with a "high-level expert taskforce" because of fears it could see Parliament's lawmaking questioned in the courts.
The bill proposed blocking laws or regulations taking away property or common law rights, without due reason or compensation.The bill, which is now in the name of ACT MP Roger Douglas, was recently examined by the Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce headed by former Treasury boss Graham Scott.
Mr Hide said Dr Scott had performed a "few nips and tucks" to the bill and it was now "generally in admirable shape".
