PILLAR has today announced their written submission in opposition to the Policing Amendment Bill 2026, alongside the launch of a public petition calling for urgent changes to protect the rights and freedoms of New Zealanders.

The organisation says that while it supports the goal of giving Police greater operational clarity, the bill in its current form grants overly broad surveillance powers without sufficient safeguards.

PILLAR Executive Director Nathan Seiuli says the issue is not whether Police should have tools to do their job, but whether those tools are properly constrained.

“This bill gives Police sweeping powers to record and collect information on New Zealanders without clear limits. That is not how a free society should operate,” said Seiuli.

“The problem is not intent. The problem is the lack of guardrails. Vague language and undefined terms create space for overreach, misuse, and long term erosion of public trust.”

The bill would allow Police to record individuals in public and on private property where they are lawfully present, with few clear requirements around necessity, proportionality, or connection to a specific threat or investigation.

PILLAR’s submission also highlights previous findings from oversight bodies that Police have unlawfully collected and retained thousands of images of members of the public, including individuals not suspected of any wrongdoing.

“We already know what happens when powers are unclear and poorly understood. The answer is not to expand those powers further without fixing the foundations,” Seiuli said.

Alongside its submission to the Justice Select Committee, PILLAR has launched a public petition calling on Parliament to amend the bill before it is passed into law.

The petition calls for:

• Clear legal thresholds tying data collection to genuine threats or investigations
• Stronger privacy protections and safeguards against misuse
• Proper definitions to limit overly broad powers
• Higher protections for children and young people
• Improved systems for data storage, oversight, and deletion

Seiuli says the goal is to strike the right balance between effective policing and individual liberty.

“New Zealanders should not have to choose between safety and freedom. We can have both, but only if the law is clear, proportionate, and accountable from the outset.”

“It is far better to fix these issues now than to leave them to the courts after harm has already been done.”

PILLAR is encouraging members of the public to read the petition, understand the implications of the bill, and add their voice to the call for change.

About PILLAR

PILLAR (Protecting Individual Life, Liberty, and Rights) is a civil society organisation dedicated to defending fundamental freedoms in New Zealand. Through research, advocacy, and education, PILLAR works to ensure that responses to modern challenges remain consistent with democratic values and the protection of individual rights.

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