KEY POINTS:
Real estate agents are being mocked for decrying a big law change, saying they can't find the new rules and they will be holidaying too long to make submissions.
Law reform advocate Deb Leask said she found it funny that the Real Estate Institute (REINZ) was outraged at
the big industry shakeup.
The agents have claimed they are being unfairly treated because the law is progressing within just a few weeks, when most of them will be away on holiday.
The new Real Estate Agents Act got its first reading last Wednesday and submissions close on February 8.
But Ms Leask said the agents would get exactly what they deserved from Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove and it was too late to complain about the reforms.
"REINZ thought it was a joke that Mr Cosgrove was going to change the law but the joke is now on REINZ. Now that agents will have a choice to become members or not, people will probably perceive that if 'an agent is a member of REINZ they are probably dodgy. Good agents will not need REINZ, which is a protection racket'."
A spokesperson for Mr Cosgrove's office said consultation had been rigorous and extensive.
The timetable for submissions was set independently by the justice and electoral committee, not the minister, the spokesperson said.
Institute president Murray Cleland said agents were being denied their democratic rights.
"Most of our members are still trying to track down the bill and read it," he said, adding that many would also be on holiday until at least mid- or late- January.
Other laws like the Dog Control Bill, the Affordable Housing Bill and the Climate Change Bill had many weeks between their first reading and the close-off of deadlines for submissions, Mr Cleland said.
Submissions on the new real estate law should be extended until the end of February, Mr Cleland said, vowing to mobilise 2000 of the country's 18,000 agents to make their views known.
The new law will see the institute lose most of its power base. Institute membership will no longer be compulsory and the organisation loses the right to discipline members. That role will be passed to a new authority which will hand out stiffer penalties.
Ms Leask said Mr Cleland was out of touch with reality.
"Why are they complaining now when Mr Cosgrove gave them ample time to come up with new and improved changes a year ago? REINZ did not take this seriously and wanted to retain the power for themselves when Mr Cosgrove clearly stated they should come up with an independent review of complaints, not an in-house scenario," she said.
"In previous press releases they supported changes but now that it is imminent they are not so happy. They should have worked with Mr Cosgrove in the first place. They already knew what was going to be in the bill so why weren't they preparing for submissions ages ago?"
Where to find it
* Visit www.parliament.govt.nz
* Click on Parliamentary Business
* Look under the bills link
* Scroll down under alphabetical order
* Search under 'r' - for real estate