Primary sector can help regulators avoid ‘dumb rules’: Bill English

NZ has plenty of other things to worry about, says Bill English. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Mon, 16 Jun 2025

If the farming sector and its suppliers are frustrated with some of the regulations they work under, they should seek better data, former Prime Minister Bill English says.English is promoting a theory on regulation he calls “data beats rules”. It means the more regulators know about issues facing the industries they regulate, the more sensible the outcomes.“Our agricultural industry for a long time has taken an underlying view that if we don’t tell anyone what we’re doing, then they can’t stop us.”He wa...

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