Standards Bill Progresses

by Desk Editor on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 — 8:57 PM

A bill reforming the Standards framework has completed its second reading.

This bill seeks to consolidate the law relating to standards and accreditation of conformity assessment bodies. It repeals and replace the Standards Act 1988 and the Testing Laboratory Registration Act 1972, setting up new arrangements for New Zealand Standards development and approval and make changes to the institutional arrangements for the Testing Laboratory Registration Council to better reflect the nature of its functions.

The second reading of the Standards and Accreditation Bill was completed by 61 to 60 with National, ACT and United Future in favour.

Parties were opposed to the bill mainly because they objected to the new Standards body being relocated within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. They argued this would allow Standards to be politicised and a stand-alone body should be retained. Government MPs said the new body would still have statutory independence.

MPs then began the second reading debate of the Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill

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