Parliament bill

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill

Royal assent · Introduced by Hon Cameron Brewer · National Party

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July 15, 2026 15:55
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What this bill does

The bill passed its third reading 67–45; the vote was not unanimous. According to the bill’s explanatory material, consumer-credit rules have created unnecessary compliance costs, delays, and declined credit applications for some creditworthy borrowers. The bill aims to streamline consumer-credit regulation, reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, and align it with other financial-services regulation. The bill transfers oversight of consumer credit from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority. Consumer-credit lenders move into the FMA licensing regime, and the FMA gains powers to issue stop and direction orders for breaches.

AI-assisted summary based on the bill text and linked Hansard debates.

Latest voting result

May 28, 2026
Third reading: Passed Party vote

Ayes 67 · Noes 45

  • National Party Aye · 48 votes
  • ACT Party Aye · 11 votes
  • NZ First Party Aye · 8 votes
  • Labour Party No · 29 votes
  • Green Party No · 14 votes
  • Ferris, Tākuta No
  • Kapa-Kingi, Mariameno No

View the vote in Hansard

Earlier votes (1)

May 14, 2026

Second reading: Passed Party vote

Ayes 68 · Noes 54

  • National Party Aye · 49 votes
  • ACT Party Aye · 11 votes
  • NZ First Party Aye · 8 votes
  • Labour Party No · 34 votes
  • Green Party No · 14 votes
  • Te Pāti Māori No · 4 votes
  • Ferris, Tākuta No
  • Kapa-Kingi, Mariameno No

Arguments raised in Parliament

AI-assisted summary of the linked Hansard debates. Each point is grounded in the cited transcript.

Arguments for

For consumer-credit users, moving oversight from the Commerce Commission to the FMA is claimed to give the FMA licensing and administrative tools to supervise lenders and respond effectively to breaches.

For lenders facing trivial or harmless historical disclosure breaches, the retrospective court-relief setting is claimed to prevent disproportionate loss of all borrowing costs by allowing courts to grant just and equitable relief.

Arguments against

For borrowers with claims not already filed, the bill’s retrospective changes are argued to stop legitimate claims against lenders and thereby deny repayment for past disclosure breaches.

For borrowers seeking redress for disclosure failures, the new liability test is argued to make recovery harder because they must prove loss or damage in addition to a disclosure breach.

For borrowers without reliable digital access, replacing continuing disclosure with information on a lender’s website is argued to make essential balance information less accessible.

Nuance and qualifications

Bill text

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill

Version published May 15, 2026 00:00.

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on a date or dates set by Order in Council. Any part of the Act that has not come into force 6 months after Royal assent comes into force then. However,— a sections 6(2) , 8 , 9(2) , 11 to 14 , 43 , 47 , and 48(3) come into force on the day after Royal assent; and b section 6(3) comes into force 6 months after Royal assent. An Order in Council made under this section is secondary legislation ( see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements). This Act comes into force on 1 July 2026 . However,— a sections 35, 36(1A), 39A, 46A, and 70(3) come into force on the day after Royal assent; and b sections 6(3), 15 to 18, and 48 come into force 6 months after Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Part amends the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. 4 Section 3 amended (Purposes) Repeal section 3(3)(i). 5 Section 4 amended (Overview) Replace section 4(d) with: d Part 4 provides for enforcement and liability matters, including— i statutory d…
Read full bill text
Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on a date or dates set by Order in Council. Any part of the Act that has not come into force 6 months after Royal assent comes into force then. However,— a sections 6(2) , 8 , 9(2) , 11 to 14 , 43 , 47 , and 48(3) come into force on the day after Royal assent; and b section 6(3) comes into force 6 months after Royal assent. An Order in Council made under this section is secondary legislation ( see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements). This Act comes into force on 1 July 2026 . However,— a sections 35, 36(1A), 39A, 46A, and 70(3) come into force on the day after Royal assent; and b sections 6(3), 15 to 18, and 48 come into force 6 months after Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Part amends the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. 4 Section 3 amended (Purposes) Repeal section 3(3)(i). 5 Section 4 amended (Overview) Replace section 4(d) with: d Part 4 provides for enforcement and liability matters, including— i statutory damages: ii providing the FMA and the courts with certain powers in connection with breaches of this Act: iii prohibitions on the enforcement of consumer credit contracts, guarantees, consumer leases, and buy-back transactions in certain situations: iv offences: v a reasonable mistake defence: vi pecuniary penalties: Guidance note See also the Financial Markets Authority Act 2011, which provides for— this Act to be financial markets legislation; and the FMA to perform or exercise various functions, powers, and duties in relation to this Act. Repeal section 4(ea). 6 Section 5 amended (Interpretation) In section 5, repeal the definitions of certified and family trust . In section 5, definition of creditor , replace paragraphs (c) and (d) with: c includes a person declared to be a creditor, or a person of a class of persons declared to be creditors, by regulations made under section 138(1)(abb) In section 5, insert in their appropriate alphabetical order: express trust has the same meaning as in section 12 of the Trusts Act 2019 FMA means the Financial Markets Authority established by Part 2 of the Financial Markets Authority Act 2011 In section 5, replace the definition of repayment waiver with: repayment waiver means an agreement between a creditor or lessor and a debtor or lessee under which the creditor or lessor, for an additional consideration, agrees to waive the creditor’s or lessor’s right to any amount payable under the credit contract or consumer lease in the event of any 1 or more of the following: a the unemployment of, sickness of, injury to, or the disability or death of the debtor or lessee: b the amount payable under a contract of insurance on the total loss of the insured property is less than the unpaid balance of the credit contract, where the insured property is subject to a security interest that was taken in connection with the credit contract 6A Section 7 amended (Meaning of credit contract) After section 7(2), insert: 3 A particular arrangement or facility, or an arrangement or a facility of a class, declared by the FMA under section 138A(1)(a) is not a credit contract if the person who relies on the declaration complies with the terms and conditions (if any) that apply to the declaration. 7 Section 9A amended (Outline of Part) Before section 9A(2)(a), insert: aaa the FMA to make stop orders or direction orders in respect of a breach of the principles ( see subpart 2A of Part 4 ): In section 9A(2)(a), delete 98A, 98B, . 8 Section 9B amended (Interpretation) In section 9B(1), replace the definition of relevant guarantee with: relevant guarantee — a means a guarantee given, or proposed to be given, by a natural person in respect of a consumer credit contract; but b does not include a guarantee under which the guarantor is acting in their capacity as— i a trustee of an express trust; or ii a partner of a partnership under the Partnership Law Act 2019 In section 9B(2)(f), replace lender with lender, and the lender knows, at the time the agreement is entered into, that the insurance will be financed under the agreement . 9 Section 9C amended (Lender responsibility principles) In section 9C(3)(f), delete subpart 5A of Part 6 of . In section 9C(3)(f)(ii), delete under the Fair Trading Act 1986 . After section 9C(8), insert: 9 However, neither of the following involves a material change for the purposes of subsection (3)(a): a a lender paying unpaid rates under section 62 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 (and the treatment of an amount paid under section 62(3) of that Act): b a lender paying or advancing an amount as referred to in section 87 of the Property Law Act 2007 (and interest accruing as referred to in section 87(2) of that Act). 10 Section 9CA amended (Records about inquiries made) Repeal section 9CA(8). 10A Section 11 amended (Meaning of consumer credit contract) Replace section 11(1C) with: 1C An arrangement or a facility is also a consumer credit contract if it is of a class declared by the FMA under section 138A(1)(b) . 11 Section 15 amended (Certain contracts not consumer credit contracts) In section 15(1)(c), replace a family trust with an express trust . 12 Section 21 amended (Continuing disclosure not required) After section 21(1), insert: 1A The requirement in subsection (1)(b)(i) must be treated as satisfied to the extent that it relates to the information set out in section 19(1)(b) if, in connection with a consumer credit contract, the creditor maintains (at all reasonable times) a website that does either or both of the following: a the website allows the debtor to access information about the unpaid balance after each transaction is credited or debited to the debtor’s account: b the website allows the debtor to access information about the unpaid balance as at the end of each day in which a transaction is credited or debited to the debtor’s account. 1B In subsection (1A) , transaction means any advance, interest charge, amount paid or credited, fee, or charge referred to in section 19(1)(c), (d), (e), or (f). 13 Section 22 amended (Disclosure of agreed changes) After section 22(3)(b), insert: ba reduces the amount of each payment due under the contract for a period not exceeding 3 months, where— i the creditor considers on reasonable grounds that any consequential increase to the total amount of interest charges payable, and to the total number of payments, under the contract is immaterial; and ii the reduction is not made following an application under section 55; or 14 New section 26AB inserted (Disclosure not required for guarantor who is trustee or partner) After section 26A, insert: 26AB Disclosure not required for guarantor who is trustee or partner Sections 24 to 26A do not require disclosure to be made to a guarantor who is— a a trustee acting in their capacity as a trustee of an express trust; or b a person acting in their capacity as a partner of a partnership under the Partnership Law Act 2019. 15 Section 27 amended (Right to cancel consumer credit contract) After section 27(2), insert: 3 If a consumer credit contract involves a repayment waiver or an extended warranty, the waiver or warranty is to be treated as forming part of the contract for the purposes of this section and sections 28 to 31 (with the effect that a cancellation of the contract also operates as a cancellation of the waiver or warranty). 4 See also section 27A , which enables a debtor to cancel a repayment waiver or an extended warranty separately from the consumer credit contract. 16 New section 27A inserted (Right to cancel repayment waiver or extended warranty separately from consumer credit contract) After section 27, insert: 27A Right to cancel repayment waiver or extended warranty separately from consumer credit contract 1 This section— a applies if a consumer credit contract involves a repayment waiver or an extended warranty (or both); but b does not apply if— i the creditor requires the debtor to obtain the repayment waiver or extended warranty (as the case may be); and ii that requirement is not unreasonable under section 69. 2 The debtor under the contract may cancel the repayment waiver or extended warranty (or both) by giving written notice of the cancellation to the creditor under the contract within 5 working days of the day that disclosure is made under section 17 (or at any time if that disclosure has not been made). 3 This section does not limit section 27(3) , which provides for a cancellation of a consumer credit contract under that section to also operate as a cancellation of a repayment waiver or an extended warranty. 17 Section 28 amended (Notice of cancellation, return of property, and payment of cash price) Replace section 28(1) with: 1 Written notice of cancellation may be expressed in any way that shows the intention of the debtor to cancel or withdraw from the consumer credit contract, repayment waiver, or extended warranty. 18 Section 30 amended (Effect of cancellation) After section 30(3), insert: 4 If a repayment waiver or an extended warranty is cancelled under section 27 or 27A , the following rules apply: a the rights and obligations of the parties under the waiver or warranty cease; and b no debtor is liable to pay any amount for the waiver or warranty other than any reasonable expenses necessarily incurred by the creditor in connection with the waiver or warranty and its cancellation; and c if the debtor has already paid any amount for the waiver or warranty that the debtor is not liable to pay under paragraph (b) , the amount paid is due to the debtor under subsection (1)(c)(ii) or must otherwise be repaid to the debtor. 19 Section 41A amended (Records and reviews about how fees calculated) Repeal section 41A(7). 19A Section 45C amended (Meaning of high-cost consumer credit contract) In section 45C, definition of high-cost consumer credit contract , replace paragraph (d) with: d a contract of a class declared by the FMA under section 138A(1)(c) 19B Section 45E amended (Costs of borrowing must not exceed loan advance) In section 45E(5), definition of related consumer credit contract , replace declared by regulations to be a type of contract that is a related consumer credit contract with of a class declared by the FMA under section 138A(1)(d) . 20 Subpart 9 of Part 2 repealed Repeal subpart 9 of Part 2. 21 Section 83G amended (Creditor must serve repossession warning notice on debtor and other persons before taking possession of consumer goods) In section 83G(1)(b), after contract , insert (other than a guarantor referred to in subsection (7) ) . After section 83G(6), insert: 7 For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), this subsection refers to a guarantor who is— a a trustee acting in their capacity as a trustee of an express trust; or b a person acting in their capacity as a partner of a partnership under the Partnership Law Act 2019. 22 Section 85 amended (Jurisdiction of High Court) After section 85(a), insert: aa appeals under section 92K : 23 Section 88 amended (Creditors, creditors’ agents, lessors, transferees, and buy-back promoters liable for statutory damages) Repeal section 88(1)(d) and (1AA). 24 New subpart 2A of Part 4 inserted After section 92, insert: 2A FMA’s enforcement powers 92A Interpretation in this subpart In this subpart,— disclosure statement means— a a disclosure statement under Part 2 or 3; or b a disclosure statement under section 132A; or c a repossession warning notice or a post-repossession notice; or d a notice under section 83L(2)(b) distribute has the meaning set out in section 9B(1) provider means a provider of a relevant CCCFA service relevant CCCFA service means any of the following: a acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract or other credit contract: b acting as a creditor’s agent: c acting as a lessor under a consumer lease: d acting as a transferee or buy-back promoter: e acting as a paid adviser or broker: d acting as a transferee under a buy-back transaction or as a buy-back promoter: f acting as a debt collector (as defined in section 132A(4) ): g acting as a mobile trader restricted communication — a means a form of communication— i that— A directly or indirectly refers to the supply, or possible supply, of a relevant CCCFA service; or B is reasonably likely to induce persons to request the supply of a relevant CCCFA service; and ii that is authorised or instigated by, or on behalf of, the provider, or an associated person of the provider, or that is prepared with the co-operation of, or by arrangement with, any of those persons; and iii that is to be, or has been, distributed to a person; and b includes any advertising within the meaning of section 9B(1). Stop orders 92B When FMA may make stop orders 1 The FMA may make a stop order if it is satisfied that— a any of the provisions of section 9C, 9CA, 9J, or 9K or of Part 2, 3, or 3A have been, or are likely to be, breached in relation to a relevant CCCFA service; or b a restricted communication relating to the supply, or possible supply, of a relevant CCCFA service,— i is false or misleading, or is likely to mislead or confuse, in a material particular; or ii is materially inconsistent with any disclosure statement referred to in it; or iii contains any material misdescription, material error, or material matter that is not clearly legible; or iv does not comply with this Act or the regulations; or c a disclosure statement given by a provider of a relevant CCCFA service— i is false or misleading, or is likely to mislead or confuse, in a material particular; or ii contains any material misdescription, material error, or material matter that is not clearly legible; or iii does not comply with this Act or the regulations. 2 If the FMA is satisfied that a provision is likely to be breached by a person ( A ) in the future, the FMA may make a stop order— a whether or not A has previously breached the provision; and b whether or not there is an imminent danger of substantial damage to any person if the provision is breached. 2013 No 69 s 462 92C Terms of stop order A stop order may, in relation to the relevant CCCFA service referred to in section 92B(1) , do 1 or more of the following: a prohibit the supply of relevant CCCFA services specified in the order from being made while the order is in force: b prohibit the distribution of 1 or more of the following while the order is in force: i a disclosure statement: ii a restricted communication referred to in section 92B(1)(b) : iii any restricted communication that relates to the supply of relevant CCCFA services specified in the order. 2013 No 69 s 463 92D FMA may make interim stop order pending exercise of powers 1 The FMA may make an interim order (an interim stop order ) of the kind referred to in section 92C that is in force for the period referred to in subsection (2) if— a the FMA is considering, at any time, whether it may exercise a power under section 92B ; and b the FMA considers that making an interim stop order is desirable in the public interest. 2 An interim stop order is in force from the time at which it is made until the close of— a the date that is 15 working days after the day on which it is made; or b a later date specified by the FMA by notice to the provider to which the order relates. 3 For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) ,— a the FMA may specify a later date if the FMA is of the opinion that it is not reasonably practicable for it to complete its consideration as referred to in subsection (1)(a) within the 15-working-day period referred to in subsection (2)(a) ; and b the later date must be a date that is no more than 30 working days after the day on which the interim stop order is made. 4 The FMA— a may act under subsection (1) or (2)(b) without giving the provider to which the order relates an opportunity to make submissions to, or be heard before, the FMA in respect of the matter (and, accordingly, section 475 of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (as applied by section 92I ) does not apply); but b must, after acting under subsection (1) or (2)(b) , give that provider or that person's representative an opportunity to make written submissions and to be heard on the matter. 2013 No 69 s 465 92E Persons to whom stop orders and interim stop orders may apply 1 A stop order or an interim stop order of the kind referred to in— a section 92C(a) may apply to any person specified in the order: b section 92C(b) may apply to 1 or more providers or any associated persons of a provider. 2 If a stop order or an interim stop order of the kind referred to in section 92C(b) extends to associated persons of the provider, the order may require— a all, or any specified class or classes, of the associated persons to comply with the order (including associated persons that may be incorporated or formed after the date of the order); and b the provider to provide a copy of the order to all or any of those associated persons. 3 For the purposes of subsection (2) , the order is not required to refer to the associated persons by name. 2013 No 69 s 466 92F Extended application of subpart 1 The FMA may make a stop order or an interim stop order in respect of a restricted communication that is distributed or to be distributed to a person outside New Zealand by a person resident, incorporated, registered, or carrying on business in New Zealand. 2 In this section, registered means registered under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008. 2013 No 69 s 467 Direction orders 92G When FMA may make direction orders 1 The FMA may make a direction order if it is satisfied that, by engaging in any conduct, a person (the relevant person ) has breached, or is likely to breach,— a any of the provisions of section 9C, 9CA, 9J, or 9K or of Part 2, 3, or 3A; or b a term or condition of an exemption or a declaration prescribed, granted, or made under Part 6. 2 If the FMA is satisfied that, by engaging in any conduct, the relevant person is likely to breach a provision referred to in subsection (1) in the future, the FMA may make a direction order— a whether or not the relevant person has previously breached the provision; and b whether or not there is an imminent danger of substantial damage to any person if the provision is breached. 2013 No 69 s 468 92H Terms of direction orders A direction order may— a direct the relevant person to comply with the relevant provision referred to in section 92G (the provision ): b set out any reasonable steps that the relevant person must take in order to comply with the provision or to avoid or mitigate any actual or potential adverse effects of a breach, including (without limitation)— i disclosing, in accordance with the order, information for the purpose of securing compliance with the provision: ii publishing, at the relevant person's own expense and in the manner and at the times specified in the order, corrective statements that are specified in, or are to be determined in accordance with, the order: iii complying in accordance with the order with a prohibition or restriction on the making of any statement or the distribution of any document by, or on behalf of, the relevant person for the purpose of preventing a breach or further breach of the provision: c in the case of section 92G(1)(b) , prohibit the relevant person from relying on an exemption: d require the relevant person to report to the FMA within the time specified in the order stating how and when the order has been or will be implemented. 2013 No 69 s 469 General provisions 92I Process for FMA's orders Sections 475 to 478 of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 apply with all necessary modifications to an order under this subpart. 92I Process for FMA’s orders Sections 475 to 478 of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 apply with all necessary modifications to an order under this subpart, including treating a reference to a stop order under section 463(c) as a reference to a stop order under section 92C(b) of this Act. 92J Consequences of failing to comply with FMA’s orders 1 If an order made by the FMA under this subpart applies to a person, the person must comply with the order ( see sections 93 and 107A, which provide for the court to make an order in relation to a breach of this provision). 2 A person who refuses or fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with an order made by the FMA under this subpart commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $300,000. 2013 No 69 s 479 Appeal 92K Appeals against other decisions of FMA on questions of law only An aggrieved person that considers that a decision of the FMA under this subpart is wrong in law may appeal to the High Court against the decision on a question of law only. 25 Section 93 amended (Court’s general power to make orders) In section 93, replace or broker with broker, or mobile trader . In section 93(a), replace 3A, or 5A with or 3A or of section 92J . In section 93(b) to (e), replace or 9K with 9K, or 92J . 26 Section 94 amended (Court orders) After section 94(1)(cc), insert: cd in the case of a breach of a provision referred to in section 94AA(1) , an order of the kind referred to in section 94AA(3) : 27 New sections 94AA to 94AC inserted After section 94, insert: 94AA Court orders in relation to costs of borrowing, costs of lease, and costs of buy-back transaction 1 This section applies if the court finds, in a proceeding under section 93, that— a a creditor has breached section 17 or 22; or b a lessor has breached section 64 or 65; or c a transferee has breached section 72 or 77. 2 The court may, in a proceeding under section 93, make an order referred to in subsection (3) if the court is satisfied, after having regard to the matters set out in section 94AC , that it is just and equitable to make the order. 3 The kinds of orders that the court may make against the person who engaged in the conduct referred to in subsection (1) are as follows: a in the case of subsection (1)(a) , an order that the debtor and any other person are not liable for any or all of the costs of borrowing in relation to the consumer credit contract and the period that— i starts on the date of the breach of section 17 or 22; and ii ends at the close of the day (if any) on which the disclosure under section 17 or 22 is made: b in the case of subsection (1)(b) , an order that the lessee and any other person are not liable for any or all of the costs of the lease in relation to the consumer lease and the period that— i starts on the date of the breach of section 64 or 65; and ii ends at the close of the day (if any) on which the disclosure under section 64 or 65 is made: c in the case of subsection (1)(c) , an order that the occupier and any other person are not liable for any or all of the costs of the buy-back transaction in relation to the buy-back transaction and the period that— i starts on the date of the breach of section 72 or 77; and ii ends at the close of the day (if any) on which the disclosure under section 72 or 77 is made: d any other order that the court thinks fit for the purpose of giving effect to an order under paragraph (a), (b), or (c) . 94AB Costs of borrowing, lease, or buy-back transaction do not include fees or charges that are passed on 1 In section 94AA(3)(a) , the costs of borrowing do not include fees or charges payable to another person, body, or agency as referred to in section 45 unless the other person, body, or agency is an associated person of the creditor. 2 In section 94AA(3)(b) , the costs of the lease do not include fees or charges payable by a lessee for an amount payable, or to reimburse an amount paid, by the lessor to another person, body, or agency unless the person, body, or agency is an associated person of the lessor. 3 In section 94AA(3)(c) , the costs of the buy-back transaction do not include fees or charges payable to another person, body, or agency as referred to in section 81 unless that person, body, or agency is an associated person of the transferee. 94AC Court must have regard to certain matters under section 94AA The matters the court must have regard to under section 94AA(2) are as follows: a the role that section 94AA has in providing incentives for compliance with this Act: b whether the person referred to in section 94AA(1) had an appropriate compliance programme: c the extent to which any person has been prejudiced by the breach or breaches: d any other matters as the court thinks fit. 28 Section 95A amended (Court may reduce effect of failure to make disclosure) Before section 95A(1), insert: 1AA This section and section 95B apply for the purposes of section 48 and for the purposes of sections 99(1A), 101(2), and 102(2) as in force before their repeal by the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 (and a reference to those provisions is a reference to those provisions as in force before their repeal). Guidance note See clauses 14 and 15 of Schedule 1AA. Those transitional provisions provide for— sections 99(1A), 101(2), and 102(2), as in force before their repeal, to continue to apply to existing agreements; and sections 95A and 95B to retrospectively apply to most certain agreements entered into on or after 6 June 2015. 29 Section 96 amended (Injunctions) In section 96(1)(a), replace 3A, and 5A with and 3A or of section 92J . In section 96(1)(b), replace 3A, or 5A with or 3A . In section 96(1)(b) to (f), replace or 9K with 9K, or 92J . 30 Section 98 amended (Interim injunction) In section 98(4), replace Commission’s with FMA’s . 31 Sections 98A and 98B and cross-heading above section 98A repealed Repeal sections 98A and 98B and the cross-heading above section 98A. 32 Section 99 amended (Enforcement of consumer credit contract prohibited) Repeal section 99(1A) to (1C). 33 Section 101 amended (Enforcement of consumer lease prohibited) Repeal section 101(2) to (4). 34 Section 102 amended (Enforcement of buy-back transaction prohibited) Repeal section 102(2) to (4). 35 Section 102A amended (Infringement offences) Repeal section 102A(7A). 36 Section 103 amended (Other offences) In section 103(1), replace , subpart 6A of Part 2, and section 59B with and subpart 6A of Part 2 . In section 103(6), delete section 116AAA or . Repeal section 103(6). 37 Section 107A amended (Pecuniary penalties) Replace section 107A(1)(a)(vi) to (x) with: vi section 92J (duty to comply with stop order or direction order); or Replace section 107A(2) with: 2 In determining an appropriate pecuniary penalty that a person ( A ) must pay under this section, the court must have regard to all relevant matters, in particular,— a the purposes set out in section 3 and any other purpose set out in this Act that applies to the provision to which the proceeding relates; and b any exemplary damages awarded under section 94(1)(c); and c the nature and extent of A’s conduct; and d the nature and extent of any loss or damage suffered by any person because of A’s conduct; and e any gains made or losses avoided by A; and f the circumstances in which A’s conduct took place (including whether any contravention was intentional, inadvertent, or caused by negligence); and g whether A has previously been found by the court in proceedings under this Act, or any other legislation, to have engaged in any similar conduct; and h the relationship of the parties to the transaction constituting the contravention. 2A In this section, A’s conduct means the conduct of A for which A is liable to the pecuniary penalty. After section 107A(5), insert: 6 If the court orders that a person pay a pecuniary penalty, the court must also order that the penalty must be applied first to pay the FMA’s actual costs in bringing the proceedings. 38 New subpart 5B of Part 4 inserted After section 107E, insert: 5B Declarations of breach 107F When court may make declarations of breach 1 The court may, on the application of the FMA or any other person, make a declaration of breach if it is satisfied that a person— a has breached any of the provisions referred to in section 107A(1)(a); or b has attempted to breach such a provision; or c has aided, abetted, counselled, or procured any other person to breach such a provision; or d has induced, or attempted to induce, any other person, whether by threats or promises or otherwise, to breach such a provision; or e has been in any way, directly or indirectly, knowingly concerned in, or party to, the breach by any other person of such a provision; or f has conspired with any other person to breach such a provision. 2 In this subpart, a person has an involvement in the breach if the person has acted as referred to in subsection (1)(b) to (f) . 107G Purpose and effect of declarations 1 The purpose of a declaration of breach is to enable an applicant for an order under subpart 3 to rely on the declaration in the proceedings for that order, and not be required to prove the breach or involvement in the breach. 2 Accordingly, a declaration of breach is conclusive evidence of the matters that must be stated in it under section 107H . 107H What declarations must state A declaration of breach must state the following: a the provision to which the breach or involvement in the breach relates; and b the person who engaged in the breach or involvement in the breach; and c the conduct that constituted the breach or the involvement in the breach and, if a transaction constituted the breach, the transaction. 39 Section 108 amended (Power to order certain persons not to act as creditors, lessors, transferees, or buy-back promoters) After section 108(1)(a)(va)(C), insert: D the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013; or 39A Section 116AAA repealed (Requirement for annual return) Repeal section 116AAA. 40 Subpart 7 of Part 4 repealed Repeal subpart 7 of Part 4. 41 Subpart 8 of Part 4 replaced Replace subpart 8 of Part 4 with: 8 Miscellaneous 111 State of mind of directors, employees, or agents attributed to body corporate or other principal 1 If, in a proceeding under this Act in respect of any conduct engaged in by a body corporate, being conduct in relation to which any provision of this Act applies, it is necessary to establish the state of mind of the body corporate, it is sufficient to show that a director, an employee, or an agent of the body corporate, acting within the scope of their actual or apparent authority, had that state of mind. 2 If, in a proceeding (other than a proceeding for an offence) under this Act in respect of any conduct engaged in by a person other than a body corporate, being conduct in relation to which any provision of this Act applies, it is necessary to establish the state of mind of the person, it is sufficient to show that an employee or agent of the person, acting within the scope of their actual or apparent authority, had that state of mind. 3 In this Act, state of mind , in relation to a person, includes the knowledge, intention, opinion, belief, or purpose of the person and the person’s reasons for that intention, opinion, belief, or purpose. 1986 No 5 s 90(1), (3), (5); 2013 No 69 s 535 112 Conduct of directors, employees, or agents attributed to body corporate or other principal 1 Conduct engaged in on behalf of a body corporate by any of the following must be treated, for the purposes of this Act, as having been engaged in also by the body corporate: a a director, an employee, or an agent of the body corporate, acting within the scope of their actual or apparent authority: b any other person at the direction or with the consent or agreement (whether express or implied) of a director, an employee, or an agent of the body corporate, given within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the director, employee, or agent. 2 Conduct engaged in on behalf of a person other than a body corporate ( A ) by any of the following must be treated, for the purposes of this Act, as having been engaged in also by A: a an employee or agent of A acting within the scope of their actual or apparent authority: b any other person at the direction or with the consent or agreement (whether express or implied) either of A or of an employee or agent of A, given within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the employee or agent. 1986 No 5 s 90(2), (4); 2013 No 69 s 536 113 Disposal of things seized 1 In any proceedings relating to any thing seized under a warrant, the court may order, either at the trial or hearing or on an application, that the thing be delivered to the person appearing to the court to be entitled to it, or that it be otherwise disposed of in any manner that the court thinks fit. 2 The FMA may, at any time, unless an order has been made under subsection (1) , return the thing to the person from whom it was seized, or apply to a District Court Judge for an order for its disposal. 3 On any application under subsection (2) , the District Court Judge may make any order that a court may make under subsection (1) . 4 If proceedings relating to the thing are not brought within a period of 3 months of its seizure, any person claiming to be entitled to the thing may, after the expiry of that period, apply to a District Court Judge for an order that it be delivered to the person. 5 On any application under subsection (4) , the District Court Judge may— a adjourn the application, on any terms that the Judge thinks fit, for proceedings to be brought; or b make any order that a court may make under subsection (1) . 114 Court order for disposal of things seized to be suspended on conviction 1 If any person is convicted in any proceedings for an offence relating to anything for which a warrant has been issued, and any order is made under section 113 , the operation of the order is suspended,— a in any case, until the expiration of the time prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 for the filing of a notice of appeal or an application for leave to appeal; and b if a notice of appeal is filed within the time so prescribed, until the determination of the appeal; and c if application for leave to appeal is filed within the time so prescribed, until the application is determined and, if leave to appeal is granted, until the determination of the appeal. 2 If the operation of any order is suspended until the determination of the appeal, the court determining the appeal may, by order, cancel or vary the order. 42 Part 5A repealed Repeal Part 5A. 43 Section 132A amended (Disclosure about debt collection) Replace section 132A(4) with: 4 In this section, unless the context otherwise requires,— debt collection — a means an act to recover (or attempt to recover) any money that is owing by a debtor under a credit contract as a result of the debtor’s breach of the contract; but b does not include— i making an application, or doing any other act, under the Insolvency Act 2006; or ii any other act of a kind prescribed by the regulations debt collector , in respect of a contract,— a means a creditor or any other person engaging in debt collection in respect of the contract; but b does not include any of the following: i a guarantor: ii a person who provides a budgeting or financial advice service to the debtor: iii a person acting on behalf of the debtor: iv a person of the kind prescribed by the regulations. In section 132A(5)(a), replace either with 1 or more . In section 132A(5)(a)(i) and (ii), after a payment reminder , insert , or a credit limit notice, . In section 132A(6), insert in its appropriate alphabetical order: credit limit notice — a means a communication that— i is made within 6 months of a debtor causing a credit limit under the contract to be exceeded; and ii does only either or both of the following (subject to subsection (6A) ): A notifies the debtor that the credit limit has been exceeded: B requests a payment so that the credit limit is no longer exceeded; but b excludes in-person visits to the debtor, the debtor’s residence, or the debtor’s place of work In section 132A(6), definition of payment reminder , paragraph (a)(ii), after overdue , insert (subject to subsection (6A) ) . After section 132A(6), insert: 6A A payment reminder and a credit limit notice may be included in the same communication (in which case the communication may include any information that is permitted in either of those notices). 44 Sections 137A to 137C and cross-heading above section 137A repealed Repeal sections 137A to 137C and the cross-heading above section 137A. 45 Section 138 amended (Regulations) In section 138(1), after Order in Council, , insert on the recommendation of the Minister, . Replace section 138(1)(ab) and (aba) with: ab exempting any of the following from the application of any provision or provisions of this Act, and prescribing the terms and conditions (if any) of the exemption: i any credit contract, consumer lease, buy-back transaction, or other agreement; or ii any class of credit contracts, consumer leases, buy-back transactions, or other agreements: aba exempting any person or class of persons from compliance with any provision or provisions of this Act, and prescribing the terms and conditions (if any) of the exemption: Repeal section 138(1)(da)(ii), (hb), and (jb) and (1BB). After section 138(1), insert: 1AA The Minister must consult the FMA before making a recommendation under this section. In section 138(1A), replace Regulations may be made under subsection (1)(a) to (aba) only on the recommendation of the Minister, and the Minister may make a recommendation only if he or she with The Minister must not recommend regulations under subsection (1)(a) to (aba) unless the Minister . Replace section 138(1A)(c) with: c is satisfied that the exemption is necessary or desirable to promote 1 or more of the purposes of this Act, including by doing either or both of the following: i avoiding unnecessary compliance costs: ii promoting innovation and flexibility in the markets for credit. In section 138(1B), delete under subsection (1A) . After section 138(1B), insert: 1BAA The breach of a term or condition of an exemption under subsection (1)(ab) and (aba) is a breach of the provision to which the exemption relates (unless the terms of the exemption otherwise provide). Replace section 138(1BA) with: 1BA The Minister must not recommend regulations under subsection (1)(abb), (abc), or (abd) unless the Minister has consulted the persons or representatives of the persons who the Minister considers will be substantially affected by the regulations. In section 138(1C), replace Regulations may be made under subsection (1)(da) only on the recommendation of the Minister, and the Minister may make a recommendation only if he or she with The Minister must not recommend regulations under subsection (1)(da) unless the Minister . 46 New sections 138A to 138F and cross-headings inserted After section 138, insert: Declarations 138A FMA’s declaration power 1 The FMA may— a declare that the following are not credit contracts: i a particular arrangement or facility: ii a class of arrangements or facilities: b declare any class of arrangements or facilities to be consumer credit contracts: ba if a declaration is made under paragraph (b) , declare that any person or class of persons is, or is to become, the creditor under the relevant consumer credit contracts: c declare any class of consumer credit contracts to be high-cost consumer credit contracts for the purposes of subpart 6A of Part 2 (provisions relating to debtors under high-cost consumer credit contracts): d declare any class of consumer credit contracts to be related consumer credit contracts for the purposes of subpart 6A of Part 2 (provisions relating to debtors under high-cost consumer credit contracts). 2 The FMA’s reasons for making a declaration (including why the declaration is appropriate) must be published together with the declaration. 3 If a declaration is made under subsection (1)(b), (c) , or (d) this section , this Act applies with any modifications specified in the declaration and with all other necessary modifications. 4 A declaration made under this section is secondary legislation ( see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements). 138B Procedural requirements for declarations 1 The FMA must not make a declaration under section 138A unless the FMA— a is satisfied, in the case of section 138A(1)(a) , that the declaration— i is necessary or desirable to promote certainty about whether this Act applies; and ii is not inconsistent with the purposes of this Act set out in section 3; and b is satisfied, in the case of section 138A(1)(b) or (ba) , that— i the declaration is necessary or desirable in order to promote any of the purposes of this Act set out in section 3; and ii an arrangement or a facility of the class to which the declaration relates has, or is intended to have, the effect of a person receiving a loan or goods or services with deferred payment; and c is satisfied, in the case of section 138A(1)(c) or (d) , that the declaration— i is necessary or desirable to promote certainty about whether subpart 6A of Part 2 applies; and ii is not inconsistent with the purposes of that subpart; and d has had regard to the economic substance of the arrangements or facilities to which the declaration relates; and e has consulted the persons or representatives of the persons who the FMA considers will be substantially affected by the declaration. 2 A failure to comply with subsection (1)(e) does not affect the validity of the declaration. 138C General provisions about declarations 1 A declaration made under section 138A may be made subject to terms and conditions, including (without limitation) terms and conditions relating to— a the circumstances in which the declaration applies, whether by reference to any persons, arrangements, or facilities, or any other circumstances: b transitional matters. 2 Nothing in section 138A, 138B , or this section prevents the granting of an exemption under section 138 or 138D that applies to a matter that is the subject of a declaration. 3 A declaration made under section 138A that something is a consumer credit contract prevails over a statement to the contrary in section 15. 138CA FMA may make interim orders pending exercise of powers 1 The FMA may make an interim order that no goods or services specified in the order may be supplied, while the interim order is in force, if— a the supply of the goods or services involves an arrangement or a facility; and b the FMA is considering, at any time, whether it may exercise a power under section 138A in respect of the arrangement or facility; and c the FMA considers that making an interim order is desirable in the public interest; and d the FMA considers that the extent of the interim order is not broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the order. 2 An interim order— a must specify the supplier or suppliers of the goods or services to which the order applies; and b may require— i all, or any specified class or classes, of the associated persons of the supplier or suppliers to comply with the order (including associated persons that may be incorporated or formed after the date of the order); and ii a supplier to provide a copy of the order to all or any of those associated persons. 3 For the purposes of subsection (2) , the order is not required to refer to the associated persons by name. 4 The FMA— a may act under subsection (1) or section 138CB(1)(b) without giving the supplier to which the order relates an opportunity to make submissions to, or be heard before, the FMA in respect of the matter; but b must, after acting under subsection (1) or section 138CB(1)(b) , give that supplier or that person’s representative an opportunity to make written submissions and be heard on the matter. 5 The FMA must, immediately after making the order, notify each supplier to which the order relates that the order has been made and the reasons for the order. 6 Section 478 of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 applies with all necessary modifications to an order under this section. 7 A person who refuses or fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with an order made by the FMA under this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $300,000. 138CB Period in which interim order is in force 1 An interim order under section 138CA is in force from the time at which it is made until the close of— a the date that is 15 working days after the day on which it is made; or b a later date specified by the FMA by notice to the supplier to which the order relates. 2 For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) ,— a the FMA may specify a later date if the FMA is of the opinion that it is not reasonably practicable for it to complete its consideration as referred to in section 138CA(1)(b) within the 15-working-day period referred to in subsection (1)(a) : b the later date must be a date that is no more than 30 working days after the day on which the interim order is made. Exemptions 138D FMA’s exemption power 1 The FMA may, on the terms and conditions (if any) that it thinks fit,— a exempt from the application of any provision or provisions of this Act— i any credit contract, consumer lease, buy-back transaction, or other agreement; or ii any class of credit contracts, consumer leases, buy-back transactions, or other agreements: b exempt any person or class of persons from compliance with any provision or provisions of this Act. 2 The FMA’s reasons for granting an exemption (including why the exemption is appropriate) must be published together with the exemption. 3 An exemption granted under this section is secondary legislation ( see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements). 138E Procedural requirements for exemptions The FMA must not grant an exemption under section 138D unless the FMA— a has had regard to the purposes of this Act set out in section 3; and b is satisfied that the exemption would not cause significant detriment to debtors under credit contracts, lessees under consumer leases, or occupiers under buy-back transactions; and c is satisfied that the exemption is necessary or desirable to promote 1 or more of the purposes of this Act, including by doing either or both of the following: i avoiding unnecessary compliance costs: ii promoting innovation and flexibility in the markets for credit; and d is satisfied that the extent of the exemption is not broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the exemption; and e has had regard to whether the matter to which the exemption relates would be more appropriately dealt with by way of regulations made under section 138(1)(a) to (aba) . 138F General provisions about exemptions 1 An exemption granted under section 138D may continue in force for not more than 5 years (and at the close of the date that is 5 years after the exemption first comes into force, the exemption must be treated as having been revoked unless it is sooner revoked or expires). 2 The breach of a term or condition of an exemption granted under section 138D is a breach of the provision to which the exemption relates (unless the terms of the exemption otherwise provide). 46A Schedule 1AA amended In Schedule 1AA, after clause 12, insert: Annual return requirement ceases to apply 12A Annual return requirement does not apply to periods starting on or after 1 April 2025 The requirement in section 116AAA ceases to apply to 12-month periods starting on or after 1 April 2025. 47 Schedule 1AA amended In Schedule 1AA,— a insert the cross-heading and clauses set out in Schedule 1 of this Act as the last provisions; and b make all necessary consequential amendments. In Schedule 1AA, clause 7, after clauses 8 to 10 , insert and 15 . In Schedule 1AA, replace clause 8(6) with: 6 The amendments made by section 35 of the 2019 Act apply to existing agreements in accordance with clause 15 clauses 14 and 15 . 6A See clause 15(3A) , which provides for subclause (6) (as in force immediately before the commencement of clause 15 ) to continue to apply to the proceeding referred to in clause 15(3)(c) . 48 Schedule 1 amended In Schedule 1, paragraph (q)(ii), after security interest , insert (including, to the extent that the property is consumer goods, information that specifically identifies * the consumer goods) . In Schedule 1, after paragraph (q), insert:   *For the purposes of determining whether consumer goods are specifically identified,— a the goods are specifically identified if the disclosure contains an adequate description of the goods by item that enables the goods to be identified; and b it is insufficient to merely describe the goods by kind. In Schedule 1, paragraph (s), replace section 27 with sections 27 and 27A . 49 Amendments to various references to Commission In the provisions specified in Schedule 2 , replace Commission with FMA in each place. 50 Principal Act This Part amends the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. 51 Section 6 amended (Interpretation) In section 6(1), replace the definition of client with: client , in relation to— a a financial advice service or client money or property service, has the meaning set out in clause 2 of Schedule 5: b a service of acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract, means a debtor under a consumer credit contract In section 6(1), replace the definition of consumer credit contract with: consumer credit contract — a has the same meaning as in section 11 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (and for that purpose sections 12 to 15 and 16 and 16A of that Act apply); but b in subpart 6A of Part 6, has the meaning set out in section 446P In section 6(1), insert in its appropriate alphabetical order: creditor has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (and for that purpose sections 16 and 16A of that Act apply) In section 6(1), definition of financial advice product , after paragraph (d), insert: da a buy-back transaction or consumer lease (within the meaning of section 5 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003); or In section 6(1), definition of financial service , replace paragraph (b) with: b includes— i a market service; and ii a relevant CCCFA service (as defined in section 92A of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003); but In section 6(1), definition of market service , after paragraph (d), insert: da acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract: In section 6(1), definition of market services licensee obligation , after paragraph (e), insert: f in the case of a creditor under a consumer credit contract, the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 52 Section 387 amended (Territorial scope for licensing and other regulation of certain market services) Before section 387(2), insert: 1B For the service of acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract, this Part applies if the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 applies to the contract under section 137 of that Act. 53 Section 388 amended (When provider of market services needs to be licensed) After section 388(d), insert: e acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract. 54 Section 389 amended (Exemptions from need for market services licence) After section 389(4), insert: Exemptions for creditor under consumer credit contract 4A A person is exempt from the licensing requirement under section 388(e) in respect of a service (unless a declaration applies under subpart 3 of Part 9) to the extent that the service is a prescribed exempt service. In section 389(5), replace and (4)(a) and (b) with (4)(a) and (b), and (4A) . 54A Section 446N repealed (FMA must obtain consent of Commerce Commission before commencing certain proceedings) Repeal section 446N. 55 Section 446P amended (Other definitions used in subpart) In section 446P(1), delete and section 546 . In section 446P(1), repeal the definition of creditor . 56 Section 451 amended (Meaning of FMC reporting entity) Replace section 451(2)(a) with: a the licence only covers 1 or more of the following: i acting as a provider of a financial advice service: ii acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract: iv acting as an administrator of a financial benchmark; and 56A Section 506 amended (Only 1 pecuniary penalty may be imposed for same conduct) Repeal section 506(4). 57 Section 546 amended (Regulations for purposes of Part 6 (market services)) Replace section 546(1)(c) with: c exempting (on terms and conditions, if any) services from the licensing requirement for the purposes of section 389(2)(b), (3)(b), (4)(b), (4A), and (4B) and (4A) : Repeal section 546(1)(ca) and (cc). In section 546(2), delete (ca), (cc), . 58 Section 550 amended (Procedural requirements for regulations relating to exemptions, exclusions, and definitions) In section 550(2)(d), replace , (c), (ca), and (cc) with and (c) . 59 Schedule 4 amended In Schedule 4, clause 1(1), insert as the last paragraph: k Part 12 provides for transitional provisions relating to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 . In Schedule 4, clause 1(1), in the last paragraph (as inserted by subsection (1) ), make any necessary consequential amendment. In Schedule 4,— a insert the Part set out in Schedule 3 of this Act as the last Part; and b make all necessary consequential amendments. 60 Principal Act This subpart amends the Financial Markets Authority Act 2011. 61 Section 4 amended (Interpretation) In section 4(1), definition of financial markets participant , after paragraph (b)(v), insert: vi a creditor under a consumer credit contract, a creditor’s agent, a paid advisor or broker, a debt collector, a repossession agent, a repossession employee, a lessor under a consumer lease, a transferee under a buy-back transaction, a buy-back promoter, or a mobile trader (within the meaning of those terms in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003) and any person who is treated as being one of those persons for the purposes of 1 or more provisions of that Act; and In section 4(1), replace the definition of financial service with: financial service — a has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008; and b includes a financial service within the meaning of section 6(1) of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 62 Schedule 1 amended In Schedule 1, Part 1, insert in its appropriate alphabetical order: Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 63 Principal Act This subpart amends the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008. 64 Section 4 amended (Interpretation) In section 4, definition of credit contract , paragraph (c), replace a contract with an arrangement or a facility . In section 4, definition of credit contract , replace paragraph (d) with: d does not include any of the following (unless paragraph (b) or (c) applies): i a contract specified in section 15(1)(a), (b), or (ca) of that Act; or ii a contract under which— A no interest charge (as defined in section 5 of that Act) is payable; and B no credit fees (as defined in section 5 of that Act) are payable; and C no security interest (as defined in section 5 of that Act) is or may be taken; or iii an arrangement or a facility declared not to be a credit contract under Part 6 of that Act In section 4, replace the definition of family trust with: family trust has the same meaning as in section 173M(5) of the Tax Administration Act 1994 65 Section 13 amended (Qualifications for registration as financial service provider) Repeal section 13(2) and (3). 66 Section 23 and cross-heading repealed Repeal section 23 and the cross-heading above section 23. 67 Section 27 amended (Contents of register) Repeal section 27(1)(cb). 68 Section 67 amended (Duty to co-operate and communicate information in certain circumstances) Repeal section 67(1)(e). 69 Section 67A repealed (Duty to communicate information about mobile traders) Repeal section 67A. 70 Consequential amendments Amend the Acts specified in Part 1 of Schedule 4 as set out in that Part. Amend the secondary legislation specified in Part 2 of Schedule 4 as set out in that Part. Revoke regulation 29 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Regulations 2004 and the cross-heading above regulation 29. 1 New cross-heading and clauses inserted into Schedule 1AA of Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 13 Interpretation In clauses 14 to 21 , unless the context otherwise requires,— 2025 Act means the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 agreement means any credit contract, security agreement, lease, buy-back transaction, or other contract or arrangement to which the principal Act applies. 14 Application of amendments to existing agreements 1 Except as provided for in subclauses (2) and (3) and clause 15 ,— a an amendment to the principal Act in a provision of the 2025 Act does not apply to an agreement entered into before the commencement of the provision; and b the principal Act, as in force immediately before the commencement of that provision, continues to apply for the purposes of those agreements. Example Section 99(1A) to (1C) is repealed by section 32 of the 2025 Act. Section 99(1A) provided that a debtor was not liable for the costs of borrowing in relation to a period during which the creditor failed to comply with its disclosure obligations. The repeal of section 99(1A) does not apply to existing agreements. Instead, section 99(1A), as in force before its repeal, continues to apply to those agreements. See , however, clause 15 . Clause 15 provides for sections 95A and 95B to apply to most existing agreements to which section 99(1A) applies certain agreements . Sections 95A and 95B allow the court to reduce the effect of section 99(1A). 2 The amendments referred to in subclause (1) apply in relation to existing agreements as follows: a the amendments made by section 9(2) of the 2025 Act (lender responsibility principles) apply only to material changes made on or after the commencement of that provision: b the amendments made by section 12 of the 2025 Act (continuing disclosure statements) apply only to continuing disclosure statements that are, or are required to be, given or sent on or after the commencement of that provision: c the amendments made by section 13 of the 2025 Act (disclosure of agreed changes) apply only to disclosure statements that are, or are required to be, given or sent on or after the commencement of that provision: d the amendments made by the 2025 Act in connection with transferring any function of the Commission in relation to this Act to the FMA apply in relation to all existing agreements. 3 Nothing in this clause limits the FMA’s functions, powers, or duties under this Act or any other legislation in relation to any existing agreement. 4 In this clause, existing agreement means an agreement entered into before the commencement of the relevant provision. 15 Application of court powers in sections 95A and 95B to existing agreements 1 Sections 95A and 95B apply to— a any agreement entered into on or after 6 June 2015 (and to which any provision of sections 99(1A), 101(2), or 102(2) applies); and b any costs of borrowing, costs of a lease, or costs of a buy-back transaction under that agreement (as the case may be) in relation to any period on or after 6 June 2015. 2 Subclause (1) applies— a despite any provision in this Act or any other legislation or other rule of law to the contrary (and, in particular, subclause (1) applies with retrospective effect despite section 12 of the Legislation Act 2019); and b in relation to all existing proceedings; and c regardless of whether a failure to comply with any of sections 17, 22, 64, 65, 72, and 77 occurred before or after the commencement of this clause or the commencement of sections 95A and 95B; and d regardless of any right, interest, title, immunity, duty, status, or capacity that exists before the commencement of this clause or the commencement of sections 95A and 95B. 3 Despite subclauses (1) and (2) , subclause (1) does not affect any of the following: a any settlement agreement entered into between 2 or more persons (including between the Commission and 1 or more other persons) in relation to a failure to comply or allegations of a failure to comply with any of sections 17, 22, 64, 65, 72, and 77 (and that settlement agreement continues to be binding on all of the parties to that settlement agreement): b any enforceable undertaking in relation to a failure or allegations of a failure of a kind referred to in paragraph (a) that is accepted by the Commission under section 74A of the Commerce Act 1986 (as applied by 113(aa) of this Act (as in force before its repeal by section 40 of the 2025 Act)): c the proceeding Simons & Ors v ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited and ASB Bank Limited CIV 2021-404-1190 (including any settlement of the proceeding in relation to any respondent) . 3A Nothing in the 2025 Act limits the application of section 33 of the Legislation Act 2019 to the proceeding referred to in subclause (3)(c) . In particular, clause 8(6) (as in force immediately before the commencement of this clause) continues to apply to the proceeding as if the 2025 Act had not been enacted. Guidance note Subclause (3A) confirms that section 33 of the Legislation Act 2019 applies to the proceeding Simons & Ors v ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited and ASB Bank Limited . This means that the amendments made by the 2025 Act do not affect the completion of the proceeding. The principal Act continues to have effect for that purpose as if it had not been amended. In particular, the original 2019 transitional provision relating to sections 95A and 95B that was in force before the main commencement of the 2025 Act (clause 8(6)) continues to apply to the proceeding. 4 In this clause, existing proceeding — a means a proceeding that has not been settled, discontinued, or finally disposed of by the court of first instance before this clause comes into force that involves a failure to comply or allegations of a failure to comply with any of sections 17, 22, 64, 65, 72, and 77; but b does not include Simons & Ors v ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited and ASB Bank Limited CIV 2021-404-1190 (or any settlement of the proceeding in relation to any respondent) . 16 Consequences of transfers of functions under Act 1 This clause applies to a function of the Commission in relation to the principal Act that is transferred to the FMA as a consequence of the amendments made by the 2025 Act. 2 On and after the commencement of section 62 of the 2025 Act (which provides for this Act to be financial markets legislation),— a all information that relates solely or principally to the function and that is transferred by the Commission to the FMA is held by the FMA; and b all rights, liabilities, entitlements, and engagements of the Commission in relation to the function become the rights, liabilities, entitlements, and engagements of the FMA; and c all directions to the Commission that relate to the function and that are in force immediately before the commencement of section 62 of the 2025 Act become directions to the FMA; and d anything done, or omitted to be done, or that is to be done, in relation to the function by, or in relation to, the Commission is to be treated as having been done, or having been omitted to be done, or to be done, by, or in relation to, the FMA; and e the commencement, continuation, or enforcement of a proceeding relating to the function by or against the Commission may instead be carried out by or against the FMA without amendment to the proceeding if the Commission and the FMA agree; and f a matter or thing relating to the function that would, but for this clause, have been completed by the Commission may be completed by the FMA. 3 On and after the commencement of section 62 of the 2025 Act, property identified by the Commission as being owned by the Commission solely or principally for the purposes of the function and that should be transferred to the FMA is vested in the FMA. 4 The transfer of information from the Commission to the FMA under subclause (2)(a) does not constitute an action that is an interference with the privacy of an individual under section 69 of the Privacy Act 2020. 17 Restriction on compensation for technical redundancy 1 An employee of the Commission is not entitled to receive any payment or other benefit on the ground that the position held by the employee in the Commission has ceased to exist if— a the position ceases to exist as a result of a transfer of a function from the Commission to the FMA as referred to in clause 16 ; and b in connection with that transfer of a function,— i the employee is offered equivalent employment in the FMA (whether or not the employee accepts the offer); or ii the employee is offered, and accepts, other employment in the FMA. 2 In subclause (1) , equivalent employment , in relation to the employee’s employment in the Commission, is employment in the FMA that is— a in substantially the same position; and b in the same general locality; and c on terms and conditions of employment that are no less favourable than those that applied to the employee immediately before the transfer of the function (including any service-related, redundancy, and superannuation conditions). 3 This clause overrides Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act 2000. 18 Employment of transferred employee to be treated as continuous employment 1 The employment of a transferred employee by the FMA is to be treated as continuous employment for the purposes of any legislation. 2 In this clause, transferred employee means a person referred to in clause 17 who has been offered and has accepted employment in the FMA. 19 Declaration of buy now, pay later contracts as consumer credit contracts continues in force 1 Regulation 5B of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Regulations 2004 continues in force as if the 2025 Act had not been enacted. 2 Regulations under section 137A of this Act (as in force immediately before the commencement of section 44 of the 2025 Act) may be made under section 138 for the purpose of amending or revoking regulation 5B. 20 Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited Milldale Development) Declaration 2020 continues in force 1 The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited Milldale Development) Declaration 2020 (the 2020 declaration ) continues in force as if the 2025 Act had not been enacted. 2 The Minister may make a declaration under section 137B of this Act (as in force immediately before the commencement of section 44 ) for the purpose of amending or revoking the 2020 declaration. 3 A declaration made under this clause is secondary legislation ( see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements). 21 Pending application for certification 1 This clause applies if,— a before the commencement of section 42 of the 2025 Act, a person has applied for certification under section 131F; but b on the commencement of section 42 of the 2025 Act, the Commission has not yet made a decision referred to in section 131H. 2 The application must be treated as withdrawn (and, accordingly, the Commission is not required to consider the application further). 3 The Commission need not refund any fee paid under this Act in relation to the application. 2 Amendments to Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 relating to references to Commission Section 9CA(3) and (7) Section 41A(4) and (6) Section 45D(2)(d) Section 45J(6)(b) Section 90(1) and (4) Section 95(1) and (3) Section 96(1) and (3) Section 98(3) and (4) Section 105C(1) and (2) Heading to section 105E and section 105E Section 107A(1) Section 107B(b) Section 109 Section 125(1) and (5) Section 138(1)(jd)(vi) 3 New Part 12 inserted into Schedule 4 of Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 12 Provisions relating to Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Act 2025 110 Creditor may be treated as holding market services licence 1 This clause applies to a person ( C ) that,— a immediately before the commencement of this clause,— i holds a certification under Part 5A of the CCCFA that covers the service of being a creditor under a consumer credit contract; or ii provides that service but does not hold that certification because the person is exempt under section 131C(1)(a) of the CCCFA; and b on the commencement of this clause, is not exempt under this Act from the licensing requirement under section 388(e) . 2 C must be treated as holding a market services licence that covers the service of acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract. 3 If C’s certification under Part 5A of the CCCFA was subject to conditions referred to in section 131K of the CCCFA, the licence under subclause (2) must, in respect of the service of acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract, be treated as being subject to those conditions (and those conditions must be treated as being conditions of the licence for the purposes of this Act). 4 However, subclause (3) does not apply to the extent that the conditions referred to in section 131K of the CCCFA are inconsistent with any conditions referred to in section 402 of this Act. 5 If, immediately before the commencement of this clause, C’s certification was suspended under section 131P of the CCCFA for a specified period or until a specified requirement is met, the licence under subclause (2) must be treated as suspended for that period or until that requirement is met. 6 In this Part, CCCFA means the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. 111 FMA may exercise powers in respect of licences Nothing in clause 110 prevents the FMA from exercising any powers under this Act in respect of a licence referred to in that clause (for example, to vary, revoke, add to, or substitute any conditions or to suspend or cancel the licence). 4 Consequential amendments In section 48P(6), definition of financial service , replace paragraph (b) with: b includes a financial service within the meaning of section 6(1) of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013; but In Schedule 2, repeal the item relating to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. In regulation 3(1), definition of BNPL contract , paragraph (b), delete section 137A(1) of . In regulation 5B, replace under section 137A(1) with for the purposes . In regulation 18K(4)(b)(iii), replace Commission with FMA . In regulation 23(1)(f)(ii), replace Commerce Commission with FMA . Revoke regulation 22 and the cross-heading above that regulation. Revoke regulations 24 to 29 28 and the cross-heading above regulation 24. Revoke regulation 3(b). Replace regulation 3(b) with: b Part 2 declares, for the purposes of Part 2 of the Act (fair dealing), that a contract of insurance is a financial product: In regulation 5(1), revoke the definition of credit contract . Revoke regulation 14. In the heading to regulation 229L, before credit , insert consumer . Revoke regulation 253. In regulation 3, replace the definition of consumer credit contract with: consumer credit contract — a has the same meaning as in section 11 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (and for that purpose sections 12 to 15, 16, and 16A of that Act apply); and b includes a contract that is declared to be a consumer credit contract under Part 6 of that Act Revoke regulation 23(2)(c). In Schedule 2, Part 2, replace the items relating to being a creditor under a credit contract and being a mobile trader with: The following table is medium in size and has 2 columns. Column 1 is headed Finance service. Column 2 is headed Required information. Being a creditor under a credit contract ( section 5(1)(e) of the Act) Whether the applicant provides, or intends to provide, the financial service in respect of either or both of the following: a consumer credit contracts: b non-consumer credit contracts. In the case of acting as a creditor under a consumer credit contract, whether 1 or more of the following apply: a the applicant holds, or intends to hold, a market services licence that covers the financial service: b the applicant is, or intends to be, authorised to provide the financial service as an authorised body under a market services licence: c the applicant is, or will be, required to be registered for the financial service but is, or will be, exempt under section 389(4A) of the FMC Act or exempt from section 388(e) of the FMC Act under an FMA exemption. In Schedule 3, revoke clause 4A(b) and (c).

Hansard

May 26, 2026

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill — Committee of the whole House · Full day report

Committee of the whole House Part 2 Amendments to Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and Schedule 3 CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): We come now to Part 2, which is the debate on clauses 50 to 59—“Amendments to Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013”—and Schedule 3. The question is that Part 2 stand part. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:18): Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to ask the Minister a few questions on this part, which is in the context of an Act which makes changes to not only the way that the regime for administering prudential conduct and conduct within financial institutions will work, but also the role of the Financial Markets Authority. This is an important part of the Act because it will maintain prudential oversight and oversight of actual conduct within those institutions which are meant to administer financial services and credit to consumers. My first question is really about the choices that have been made to move some of the conduct functions over to the Financial Markets Conduct Act. There is a considerable interest in this because it is going on alongside reorganisation of the Commerce Commission. It also walks back some of the consumer protections that were in…
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Committee of the whole House Part 2 Amendments to Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and Schedule 3 CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): We come now to Part 2, which is the debate on clauses 50 to 59—“Amendments to Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013”—and Schedule 3. The question is that Part 2 stand part. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:18): Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to ask the Minister a few questions on this part, which is in the context of an Act which makes changes to not only the way that the regime for administering prudential conduct and conduct within financial institutions will work, but also the role of the Financial Markets Authority. This is an important part of the Act because it will maintain prudential oversight and oversight of actual conduct within those institutions which are meant to administer financial services and credit to consumers. My first question is really about the choices that have been made to move some of the conduct functions over to the Financial Markets Conduct Act. There is a considerable interest in this because it is going on alongside reorganisation of the Commerce Commission. It also walks back some of the consumer protections that were introduced by the Labour Government and then were further amended at the end of the Labour Government and then further amends those. That was in response to industry feedback that those prudential and conduct requirements had gone too far. I want to ask the Minister about his overall view and whether the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s consideration on these points was close and had taken on the feedback. There was also the context of many of the submissions to the select committee being directly about the issues that were related to the ASB and ANZ litigation. He will remember, in his time as chair of that committee, that many of those submissions were about that particular point, and we constantly had to ask officials and delve deeper into what the actual changes for the Financial Markets Conduct Act would mean. It put the committee in a difficult position, because it was very difficult to draw out some of the industry feedback and some of the consumer representative feedback about what those changes would mean. At a high level, I want to start there. I particularly invite the Minister to make some comments around the changes from the last Government that were introduced in 2020, versus 2022 around these changes, and then how his changes perhaps go further than those 2022 walk-backs. Those 2022 changes were in response to pretty widespread and widely commented upon rules that the lenders at all levels of the financial markets said were getting in the way of making easy consumer loans. I’m interested in whether he can clarify for us the intention of further changing the Financial Markets Authority’s (FMA’s) power in responding to financial conduct in the market. We’ll also get onto some questions around the FMA’s powers of designation that arise in this part, but I’ll invite him to take that call first. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:21): Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the transition of oversight for consumer credit, as the member has rightly said, moves from ComCom, the Commerce Commission, over to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). The FMA has for some years now had an expanding remit, and we believe that that is the appropriate place for this to be and that they’ve got greater tools and ability to get stuck into some of these issues around consumer credit and the likes. Transitioning lenders to the FMA’s licensing model streamlines the approach to regulation for financial services and ensures that the FMA is able to supervise and regulate conduct effectively. Members have raised in the past, oh, will there be a lack of expertise? No, because the 35 or 40 staff from ComCom that are working in and around the consumer credit sector will largely be transferred over to the offices of FMA, so that expertise remains. FMA has more tools to deal with it, and that is the appropriate place for them to look at some of these issues and shortcomings around consumer credit. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:23): Madam Chair? CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): Camilla Belich. ARENA WILLIAMS: Thank you, Madam Chair—Arena Williams—the question— CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): Oh, sorry! Arena Williams. ARENA WILLIAMS: —I want to raise with the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs just very briefly—he’s made the point that appointments and expertise are the key thing in the reorganisation of those two entities, and I’ll come back to that once we get to the designation powers. Just to move a bit more chronologically now, I’m at page 31 and at clause 51. I want to ask the Minister—one of the issues that the Finance and Expenditure Committee worked on quite carefully with officials was the removal of clause 51(1)(c), which was the services acting as mobile traders. The advice that the committee received on this was that this wasn’t needed because this wasn’t a widely spread practice in the New Zealand market for credit. But the Minister will recall that the law change in 2017 or 2018—the provisions that gave rise to the Conduct of Financial Institutions legislation—and the changes in the law that required responsible lending, many of those were directly linked to this issue. The public response to the idea that in South Auckland and West Auckland and in vulnerable communities there were trucks that would drive around neighbourhoods and offer goods for very, very high levels of interest—often poorly disclosed or not disclosed to vulnerable clients—gave rise to some of these responsible lending rules and a wider responsible lending regime. As the committee understood it, this is not a practice in the New Zealand market currently, but how has he considered the need for regulation like this in the future? I ask him that because, even in the last year, with the changes that were made in 2022—and I’m not having a political go at him about this, because this was not his Government. The changes that have been made to responsible lending have changed the practice of neighbourhood lenders—small credit companies setting up shop in your local town square, perhaps next to the bakery, next to the hairdresser, next to small vegetable and fruit retailers—offering credit loans that are above 20 percent and much higher than the personal loan rate at a bank or, indeed, a credit card. I’m asking him about how he anticipates the change in the market for lending services if we remove this provision that sort of singled out and, indeed, was intended to single out, ring-fence, and highlight the conduct of mobile traders. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:26): Thank you to the member—thank you, Madam Chair. I think it’s important to keep in context when the member—and she rightly has, over the years, been a champion as far as more sunlight on the likes of mobile traders. We know through the Finance and Expenditure Committee that she was well exercised on that, and rightly so. I suppose if we go back to the guiding principle of the fact that this regime will fall under the auspices of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA)—as will all the wider remit of consumer credit and its oversight—and the FMA, with its expanding remit, will have a renewed energy and focus on these issues. If there are issues—which there are—that continue, particularly in vulnerable communities, the member and the House can take comfort that the FMA will take on this remit and these responsibilities with renewed vigour and with a big mandate. They’ll also come in with a new chair and a new chief executive, so I think the member can have absolute confidence that as far as mobile traders and anything that’s questionable in the consumer credit space, the FMA will be over the top of it. It has a wide remit, and it will have the tools to implement those penalties as it sees fit. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:28): Thank you, Madam Chair. That is really helpful. It’s also helpful to hear the Minister’s intention to continue to monitor that with the Financial Markets Authority (FMA), and I have also heard them express their interest in meeting with not only mobile traders but to use their new powers under this Act to be able to take proactive investigations. That is a good thing that is widely called for by the sector who represent say the financial mentors. That is a good thing, and good for the House to take note of. Can I then ask him about clause 51(2)? There is a lot in this section, because what the definition of “consumer credit contract” means is that some credit contracts can be defined by regulation, and some can be sort of called in by the FMA, but there is a provision that excludes buy now, pay later. This was extensively submitted upon; the Minister will not be surprised about this. It was something that organisations like Christians Against Poverty highlighted as something that the Minister needed to take note of personally and ensure that there were adequate protections around. Earlier in this term, the Government made a decision to exclude buy now, pay later products from unfair contracting terms. By including them in the definition for consumer credit more clearly, it would be clearer that some of the provisions that affect consumer credit contracts can apply to them. Just to give you some context—what are we talking about here? Buy now, pay later products are a type of financial arrangement that allow consumers to access goods or services on the spot by paying for them at a future date. The issue at hand here—and it is one for the House because it is a political judgment—is whether that is a contract for consumer credit. The system works by having the payment be made immediately, and then the person who has paid for that enters into an arrangement where they will pay that back. They don’t enter into a traditional credit arrangement. They’re not signing a credit contract and they’re not signing up for a credit card, but the question here really is whether his definition of consumer credit contract go far enough to enable Parliament to have a view on whether that is a consumer credit contract, because it’s being left to the Public Service to decide whether it should be, and if it is left to the Public Service, does it have the powers it needs to call in some of these products? The products that we are talking about do seem to me, and to most of the people I talk to, to represent a form of credit. They’re a product which, when it was first marketed, was predominantly marketed as something for young people to buy things online with, but it has now vastly expanded from that sort of consumer credit to one that we would more often associate with ordinary bread and butter consumer credit, and it is bread and butter that they are buying. Groceries, liquor, and petrol are now all available on “buy now, pay later” products. That seems to be more like a consumer credit card, and so having some of the provisions around consumer credit contracts associated with those products would make sense. I want to also ask the Minister about the October 2022 Cabinet decisions to bring “buy now, pay later” contracts within the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act and whether that will be given effect to by this, because that was an important decision. There has been some back and forth, particularly around the status of the products offered by Zip after-pay, and particularly in the New Zealand market because they have a growing market share. I also seek his views on where the FMA’s temperature will be on those kinds of arrangements—that I think are credit arrangements—given that these are also products which are, helpfully, competing with the banks. They provide more competition for a market of credit for consumers, and perhaps there is more information available because of these new technological tools for the consumers who use them. But, obviously, if they are competing with banks, they should not then be subject to a completely different kind of competition regime making completely different kinds of regulations. I was trying to bundle all of my questions about “buy now, pay later” that are relevant to consumer credit contracts into that question, just while the Minister takes advice. I’d just finish with this. The financial mentors’ association FinCap submitted really useful advice on this to the Finance and Expenditure Committee that they had prepared after the then Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Andrew Bayly had commented publicly that he would be keeping a watching eye on these products and their operation in the market. That advice is widely publicly available. Their finding is that this is being used by more and more vulnerable consumers for more and more everyday sorts of consumer-essential products, and it meets what they would consider to be the definition of a product which should be regulated. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:33): Thank you, Madam Chair. The member Arena Williams does well to raise the issues around “buy now, pay later”, and she is right that that was the Cabinet paper that she quoted from, I think, October 2022. The primary question was, I think, why this bill doesn’t further improve protections. There are protections already in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, and, as the member has indicated, the regulation of “buy now, pay later” has only taken effect since September 2024, and so the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and, eventually, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) will continue to monitor. I want to give every assurance that the effectiveness of the regulations that are in place around “buy now, pay later”, and whether the existing regulation that the previous Government put in place and that has been in effect since 2024 is having the intended outcomes—I suppose, to answer in short, “buy now, pay later” is regulated. It is under watch, and it will continue to be under a close watch thanks to MBIE, and it will also soon be thanks to the FMA. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:34): Thank you, that’s very helpful from the Minister, and it’s helpful to hear that he is also keeping a watch on that. That will provide some reassurance to those financial mentors and advocates who are seeing this every day. I want to put to him, then, some of the findings of the report, given that he does have a watching brief on this. Minister, are you aware that consumer harm following the September 2024 regulation that you’ve roof-rinsed shows that hardship has continued to increase for users of “buy now, pay later”, and the level of consumer protection provided by the September 2024 regulation has been criticised by financial mentors in that it deals with the most significant harm that was caused, but it’s contributing further to consumers facing financial hardship and overcommitment? The particular finding that I want to draw his attention to is the affordability exemption that is causing consumer harm. Essentially, what this is is financial mentors in the community—and all of us local MPs will know some of these people who operate in our main streets or at the citizens advice bureaus or at the library, depending on what day you’re there. They provide free or very, very cheap financial advice to people through trusts. Some of them receive funding from the Government, but some of them do not. They are raising this issue with the Government where they are seeing “buy now, pay later” representing more and more of a share of someone’s income—whether that’s wages, or payments from the Ministry of Social Development—because they are spending what they can get on “buy now, pay later” and preferencing the paying back of that kind of credit above other sorts of credit, which will be more damaging to, say, their financial scores or debt in the future because it will cost more because of the interest payments. But they will preference “buy now, pay later” products because of the way that the digital service works, where they lose that one lifeline for essential products if they don’t make the payment quickly. The particular criticism is that the affordability exemption under the September 2024 regulation means that “buy now, pay later” providers can choose to be exempt from the obligation to undertake affordability assessments. Minister, if they were explicitly included in your new clause 51(2) as operators who are offering a consumer credit contract, then we would do away with that unfairness in the system. They would have an obligation to undertake affordability assessments on the condition that they engaged in credit checking and reporting, and “buy now, pay later” providers have currently chosen—some of them—to have some sort of system for dealing with hardship in the background digitally, but they are not required to. My other question on this, which I think the Minister will be interested in, is not what you would expect from every Labour MP—it is more in line with his ideology. If we have “buy now, pay later” providers here who are competing with larger lenders and those larger lenders charge more and their prices for their products are higher, then should we make sure, as the Government, that there is an even playing field for these providers, too? They are rapidly gaining market share. There are, broadly, two of them that are doing that in the New Zealand market. Should they not be subject to the same requirements that other lenders providing the same sorts of services to other consumers are? In other words, has he built a moat around two favoured providers of these services in the market and is he assisting them with a level of competitive conduct in the market because of these regulations—which is not fair to other providers. Is it fair that small lenders in the market—who deal with the very vulnerable consumers and are subject to the fairness checks and the affordability checks, and are doing everything, in their opinion, right—are competing with these online giants, who are largely multinational-owned and have a presence here in New Zealand, but are of a very different structure from them. Is there more that he should be doing with his competition hat on, and not his regulatory hat on, to ensure that there is a fairer distribution of conduct and prudential requirements, essentially, or not prudential requirements, but conduct requirements—prudential requirements in the old sense of what that used to mean with regard to the Reserve Bank—for the “buy now, pay later” providers? There are two questions in that. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:39): Just reflecting on the “buy now, pay later” issues that the member Arena Williams has rightly raised, they are not explicitly mapped out in this piece of legislation. That terminology is not part of this statute, but, as I’ve said, she and the committee can take every assurance that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment—and it’s soon to be the Financial Markets Authority, as well—will continue to monitor their practices very closely. If I can just take the committee back to where we were with consumer credit, I think we got to a situation where the rules were so tight that bankable young people—middle-aged people, even—were struggling to get credit and were having to show Netflix and KFC receipts and everything else. We think that we’ve hit the sweet spot here. As far as the obligation on lenders, there remain plenty of obligations on lenders around the affordability to the borrower, and they are also supported in the non-binding guidance that is the Responsible Lending Code, but we do not believe that regulations as such should tell lenders how they should meet this obligation in every case. So we believe that we’ve hit it right in the middle where access to credit for those that can afford it is there, but there are plenty of safeguards that we’ve ensured remain, and the watchful eye of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. For now, the Commerce Commission and, soon, the Financial Markets Authority will continue to watch over the practices of lenders. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:41): Thank you. Before I move on to section 53 at page 32, I just want to clarify with the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: is it the Minister’s position that this is the right policy? This was sensitively discussed; I am not trying to make a political point here, but the difference between the October Cabinet decisions, the September Cabinet decisions, and the position at the beginning of this programme is vast. The change that was proposed for “buy now, pay later” initially was to bring them into the regime, and that is why I ask him about the competition part of his role, because when industry does submit on these rules, it doesn’t make sense to the traditional credit industry that they would be subject to these checks and an international service provided by two providers in New Zealand would not be. There are different strokes for different folks on why you would change this. The industry’s concerns are not my concerns, but that is why I would suggest there was a change in position during that period, and I just want to clarify with the Minister whether it’s his ongoing position that he’s not revisiting the “buy now, pay later rules”, given that he said, “These are under a watching brief. We’re interested in what changes the consumers will face.” This does make a difference. There is some uncertainty in the market at the moment around how the unfair contracting terms and affordability provisions will continue to affect this, because it’s growing. More and more of us will experience using “buy now, pay later” services and non-traditional credit lines like this. It’s not just “buy now, pay later”; it’ll be the next thing in a minute, so we must make sure that our provisions are futureproof. All right, I’ll move on to clause 53. I just want to clarify with the Minister: this was something that was back and forth, and we didn’t have the benefit of submissions on this point. Can he clarify for the committee how many operators of mobile trading businesses operate but don’t offer credit products? Were there businesses that weren’t offering credit under this business model, or were there parts of some businesses that weren’t operating under this business model but were still then subject to oversight? The oversight of these businesses was not just about the credit; the public interest in that sort of 2016-17 period was also about the very high prices. Regulation didn’t always used to sit with this kind of commercial arrangement between the provider of mobile services and the householder, they would drive up to their house and offer goods—was regulated by the Commerce Commission. The Commerce Commission was not only interested in the credit arrangements but was also interested in the prices and the conduct and in the sort of representations that were made by the sellers to people. We’ve now taken out any licensing requirements here, but what exists in the gap? Is it now a complete lacuna where we have mobile traders who are trading without credit licences and do not have any oversight—in which case, we’re sort of back to where we were in 2016-2017 for those products that weren’t credit products. Or is there another regulatory mechanism that he can assure me to have faith in, because I do like his assurances. Go on. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:45): As has been established, mobile traders are subject to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), and that oversight that took effect about 18 months ago continues. Strengthening up that piece of legislation is not part of this, but, in saying that, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) already has a statutory duty to provide advice on the CCCFA as part of its regulatory stewardship. MBIE is also the statutory monitor for the Financial Markets Authority (FMA), who will soon have oversight of consumer credit. Talking about mobile traders, they remain a big part of CCCFA, the monitoring of them continues, and as I’ve said earlier, I believe that the sunlight that will go on to their practises and behaviour will be more pronounced with the transition of consumer credit and its oversight from CommComm—affectionately known as CommComm; the Commerce Commission—to the FMA with its broadening remit. We have every confidence that consumer credit is going to be more under the eye of the public and the regulators than ever before. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:46): Thank you, Madam Chair. That’s really helpful. I just want to get the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to clarify. He said mobile traders are subject to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). That’s right insofar as they offer credit contracts, but my question is: this provision before it was amended seemed to say that they were still subject to licensing arrangements for their businesses and then they had some supervisor who was responsible for their conduct. It also relates to my question at clause 54, inserting new section 389(4A), which is broader than the mobile traders. The mobile traders is one question for him, but the exemption of services that are outside of a licence—given that we’ve now made some changes at the Finance and Expenditure Committee which remove, say, mobile traders, are there other services which he anticipates will offer a service that is not within the regime of the CCCFA? So they’re not credit contracts but they are a service that is provided, or an insurance contract, because, say, a business like a vehicle seller will be subject to licensing arrangements both for its insurance and for its lending side of the business. But what is he thinking of when we’ve removed the mobile traders—what sort of businesses is he intending to have services that are exempted, or is that now superfluous now that mobile traders have been removed in their entirety from this part? This was one of the things that didn’t have the benefit of being submitted on at the service level but is particularly important to, say, the financial mentors when they are seeing the effect of this from the market completely changing away from mobile traders but now the re-emergence of corner store lenders, and not only corner store lenders but businesses that have built in credit to their line of sales—like, say, the car sales, and particularly the small car saleyards, which use a range of different techniques to upsell credit to consumers alongside the things that they are actually buying, not just loans for the cars but also for particular services that give the whole transaction a much greater cost. One example for the Minister was that very recently, I helped a constituent who, over the life cycle of her vehicle, were she to pay the entire cost of the vehicle, the car, that was a $7,000 car, would’ve cost her about $30,000. That, very simply, didn’t seem to meet the requirements. We were able to enlist the help of a financial mentor to help deal with that, but that’s lending products and insurance products being sold on top. Is there another sort of service that he is intending to exempt in new section 389(4A), inserted by clause 54? Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:50): Just to reiterate, mobile traders continue to be subject to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, and they will also be part of the licensing regime of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA), as well, given that they will be treated formally as lenders. The mobile traders that we know of provide credit contracts, and so when one provides credit contracts, they are regulated. I, again, want to give every assurance to the member that my role is a double-edged sword: it’s Minister—some see it as contradictory, almost, but Minister of Commerce and of Consumer Affairs, and the member in the House can take every assurance that we, this administration, are all about finding a sweet spot when it comes to lending and borrowing where those that can afford to borrow and are bankable can access credit, but those that are out there in the marketplace and exerting predatory behaviour—that we have got the tools required and the oversight required to unleash fury on them if they are caught breaching their responsibilities. The FMA, under a new chair and under a new chief executive in 2027, will be looking at this widely, and they have every intent—they tell me—to be taking their consumer credit watchdog responsibilities very, very seriously. You will see the profile of consumer credit under FMA and the resource of consumer credit oversight only grow as we continue in this difficult post-Iranian war—well, current Iranian war—environment, and all the inflation and all the pressures, cost of living pressures, that many have found themselves under. So we have every confidence that these people will continue to be protected as they should be. RYAN HAMILTON (National—Hamilton East) (11:52): I move, That debate on this question now close. CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): I think there’s a couple more clauses to cover. Arena Williams. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (11:52): Thank you, Madam Chair. Just moving to clause 56A—I’m at page 33, middle of the page—just the repeal of section 506(4). The Minister made an announcement recently at the competition conference in Auckland about increasing penalties for conduct of interest, which was the conduct around section 36 of the Commerce Act, but I want to ask him about how this interacts with that. The principle here is that nothing in this Act should give rise to where you have two regulators, the Commerce Commission and the Financial Markets Authority (FMA), looking at a particular set of conduct—that there should be one pecuniary penalty for that conduct, but that also relies on criminal penalties also being available. I want to ask him whether this provision in this bill that’s before the House now was considered in light of proposed changes to other pecuniary penalties. Stacking penalties—which our regime doesn’t do and didn’t do at this time, when he repealed this—is a feature of other law, like, say, the EU competition law, where penalties are much higher, which we could have used as a model and, indeed, much of his vision for fair trading penalties seems to draw on. Is this the right temperature? Is this in line with his temperature now, where we don’t have stacking penalties and have explicitly changed the way that penalties will work? Stacking penalties, just for clarification, is where a corporate entity has engaged in antitrust conduct; they’ve been found to be liable for both civil penalties and for criminal penalties, or for pecuniary penalties that are payable to the State. In jurisdictions like Europe and the UK, they stack up. You might be liable for one antitrust offence, for a number of different penalties that will result in the tens of millions of dollars of penalties—or, in the case of Google in Ireland, US$6 billion payable to the State, which was more than their corporate tax take over several years. So the size of the penalties and the stacking is an important question here. That seemed to be where the Minister was going, so I wanted to clarify whether this provision is in line with that, and whether he considered the penalties that the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act gives rise to in this Act, which was drafted before his time as a Minister; whether he had advice and whether he could increase the penalties in line with his other increases in the penalties in the Fair Trading Act. I’m also interested in the procedural requirements at clause 53. These just change the requirements relating to the exemptions and exclusions in the Act. I just want him to comment on how this will affect penalties when a group is excluded for one sort of conduct—so for one sort of credit contract—and, say, a neighbourhood lender is offering one sort of product and won’t be liable for penalties in that context, but whether they will be liable for other penalties in another context. Minister. Hon CAMERON BREWER (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) (11:56): Well, I’m reliably informed by my officials that what Ms Williams just raised—we are repealing section 446N of the Financial Markets Conduct Act. This requires, currently, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to obtain the Commerce Commission’s consent before commencing proceedings, and given that the ComCom will be handing over its consumer credit responsibilities to FMA, it makes no sense, and hence the repeal. RYAN HAMILTON (National—Hamilton East) (11:56): I move, That debate on this question now close. A party vote was called for on the question, That debate on this question now close. Ayes 67 New Zealand National 48; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8. Noes 55 New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te Pāti Māori 4; Ferris; Kapa-Kingi. Motion agreed to. CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): The question is that the Minister’s amendments to Part 2 set out on Amendment Paper 505 be agreed to. Hon Members: No. CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): The question is agreed. The question is that Part 2— Hon Kieran McAnulty: Noes have it; party vote. CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): I’d already put the next question. Hon Kieran McAnulty: Point of order, Madam Chair. I’d like the vote to be recorded accurately. We called for a party vote. We can do this now or we can do it later, retrospectively. Either way, the vote will be recorded accurately. CHAIRPERSON (Maureen Pugh): Yeah, there’s no need to get threatening, Mr Kieran McAnulty. I did not hear you. I heard something. If you are going to call for a party vote, I need to be able to hear it. I’m just asking for a bit more volume, that’s all. Mr Clerk, a party vote is called for. A party vote was called for on the question, That the amendments be agreed to. Ayes 67 New Zealand National 48; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8. Noes 55 New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te Pāti Māori 4; Ferris; Kapa-Kingi. Amendments agreed to. A party vote was called for on the question, That Part 2 as amended be agreed to. Ayes 67 New Zealand National 48; ACT New Zealand 11; New Zealand First 8. Noes 55 New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 15; Te Pāti Māori 4; Ferris; Kapa-Kingi. Part 2 as amended agreed to.

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