Cheap toys, serious risks: Hamilton mum challenges safety changes

Monday, 20 July 2026

A Hamilton woman who campaigned against asbestos in toys is worried that proposed changes to toy safety regulations will put Kiwi kids at further risk from dangerous compounds found in cheap overseas-made toys.

Jessica Jordan says her concerns go much further than issues relating to carcinogenic asbestos found in kinetic sand products sold in New Zealand, and was “mortified” when she discovered ACT Party leader and Regulation Minister David Seymour’s plans to change toy safety regulations.

On July 1, Seymour said New Zealand would begin recognising toy-safety standards used in the United States and European Union, bringing its rules more closely into line with Australia.

Toys meeting one of the accepted international standards would no longer need separate testing solely to satisfy New Zealand requirements, he said.

Seymour said current safety standards were outdated and costly for toy suppliers who could spend between $3500 and $5000 testing an individual toy, even after it had passed comparable overseas requirements.

He said the issue was raised by a “supplier” through the Ministry for Regulation’s “Red Tape Tipline”, when his ministry started work on possible changes.

Seymour said the proposal will reduce compliance costs, make more toy ranges commercially viable in New Zealand and increase competition and consumer choice.

While the changes have not yet taken effect, Jordan, a former early childhood teacher turned midwife, said Seymour’s law change was “phenomenally out of touch”.

She said the discovery of asbestos in some coloured sand products, and recalls involving toys, gel packs and other items marketed to children, were perfect examples of why the country should not rely on overseas standards.

“There are just so many recalls happening all the time and rightfully so. This is not the time for less stringent testing,” she said.

“When we’re already making so many mistakes, and we’re awash with plastic products … we absolutely need more stringent regulations.”

In the last six months, another six imported toys have been recalled from New Zealand shelves, mostly for choking hazards.

Jordan said the Government appeared to be prioritising relatively modest savings for businesses over parents’ confidence in the products their children played with every day.

“There’s not one parent that you could find that would say, ‘let’s make the regulations less strict’,” she said.

“We need to protect our children and protect their futures, and not be making decisions for the benefit of business people.”

Jordan said she was particularly concerned about chemicals that could be present in plastics, paints, cosmetics, jewellery and accessories.

“There are also products that are not toys that don’t come under toy regulations … children end up incorporating them into their play as well.”

She said the regulations should extend beyond toys to include hair clips, jewellery, nail polish, craft products and gel packs.

Jordan also questioned whether relying on overseas standards would give New Zealand parents the same confidence as a testing regime tailored to products sold here.

She described Seymour’s focus on reducing compliance costs as “tone deaf”.

Seymour, however, disagreed.

“There is no evidence that European or American standards are lower than ours, they just have more toys at better prices that will not be available to Kiwi kids.

“In the past it could cost $3500 to $5000 to register a new toy, that cost will be removed.”