submission

January 14, 2025

Submission: Consultation on proposed Regulatory Standards Bill

The government is proposing to introduce a Regulatory Standards Bill, which would define principles of liberty and property against which all other legislation would be tested. The Council is opposed to the proposals, and believes they seek to make the 'liberties' and property rights of companies as important as people's human rights. Keep reading

April 10, 2024

Secrecy clauses that override the Official Information Act

The Council responded to a Ministry of Justice consultation on secrecy clauses that override the Official Information Act. We concluded the consultation was wholly unfit. It will not lead to stronger testing of claims for secrecy, as it sets out no standards. Keep reading

April 27, 2023

Submission: Resale Right for Visual Artists Bill

The bill requires the Minister to appoint a 'collection agency' to collect and distribute royalties on the re-sale of visual works of art. But the bill does not make this body subject to the OIA, Ombudsmen Act, Public Audit Act or Public Records Act. We recommend this is fixed. Keep reading

March 29, 2023

Submission: Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill

This bill is an affront to our democracy. The autocratic measures at the heart of this bill are precisely the sort of executive overreach the Council was founded to prevent. The process for passing this legislation under urgency is a further affront to democracy. Keep reading

February 5, 2023

Submission: Local Government Official Information and Meetings (Amendment) Bill

The full text of our submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee, opposing the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Bill unless amended. Keep reading

December 12, 2022

Comments on Aotearoa’s 4th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan

The draft of Aotearoa's 4th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan is another disappointing piece of work stuffed with pre-planned work, aside from one commitment on equitable access to public services. Read the Council's submission. Keep reading

October 26, 2022

Submission – Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill

The Council fears that we could continue to surrender our liberties indefinitely and the Police will still claim to lack the tools to manage gangs. Keep reading

September 16, 2022

Submission: Review of Standing Orders 2023

Submitters have a common objective with Members – that the outcome of the scrutiny process should be thehighest quality legislation possible, even if this may sometimes mean recommending that the bill be withdrawn for redrafting or consultation. Our submission makes recommendations to improve the quality of select committee and parliamentary processes so as to try and avoid that second situation. Keep reading

August 24, 2022

Submission: Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill

The Council supports people's right to consume drugs for the purpose of pleasure or self-medication, whenever that consumption doesn’t directly interfere with the rights of others. Keep reading

April 27, 2021

Submission: Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill

The Council supports the right to protest. The Council was founded in response to the 1951 Waterfront Lockout. While our … Keep reading “Submission: Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill”

April 8, 2021

Submission: Oral re Internet Censorship (FVPC Amendment Bill)

Following up from our written submission, we also made an oral submission to the Governance & Administration Select Committee. … Keep reading “Submission: Oral re Internet Censorship (FVPC Amendment Bill)”

March 31, 2021

Submission: Internet Censorship (FVPC Amendment Bill)

The Council opposes the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment … Keep reading “Submission: Internet Censorship (FVPC Amendment Bill)”

February 1, 2021

Submission: Protected Disclosures

The Council supports the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill and makes suggestions to strengthen it.

The ability to ‘blow … Keep reading “Submission: Protected Disclosures”

January 31, 2021

Submission: Firearms Prohibition Orders

The Council opposes the Firearms Prohibition Orders (No 2) bill. The Council continues to oppose all legislation which misrepresents … Keep reading “Submission: Firearms Prohibition Orders”

June 22, 2020

Submission: Covid-19 Response (Fast Track Consenting) Bill

The Council for Civil Liberties has made a slightly late submission to the Environment Select Committee on the Covid-19 Response … Keep reading “Submission: Covid-19 Response (Fast Track Consenting) Bill”

June 9, 2020

Submission: Covid-19 Public Health Response Act

After complaints that the government rushed through the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act with barely 16 hours for a selected … Keep reading “Submission: Covid-19 Public Health Response Act”

June 4, 2020

Submission: Screen Industry Workers Bill

The NZ Council for Civil Liberties made a submission to the Select Committee considering the Screen Industry Workers Bill.… Keep reading “Submission: Screen Industry Workers Bill”

April 22, 2020

Submission: Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill

The Council is disappointed that the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill continues the fiction that voting is not … Keep reading “Submission: Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill”

April 4, 2020

Submission: Vaping Bill

The Council made a submission on the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bill due to our concerns with

… Keep reading

February 28, 2020

Submission: TIPC emergency service access to location information

The Council has made a submission to the Privacy Commisioner concerning the proposed extensions to the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code. … Keep reading “Submission: TIPC emergency service access to location information”