PILLAR has written to Minister for Tertiary Education Hon Penny Simmonds asking whether the government has sought security advice on Confucius Institutes and whether it will review foreign-state-linked university partnerships.
There have been 2,099 gender marker changes on birth records in New Zealand since 15 June 2023. Of concern is that 984 men have changed their gender to female on their birth certificate – an average of almost one per day – who can now access women’s spaces.
After less than a year of operation, PILLAR NZ has now contributed directly to New Zealand’s legislative process through the development of a member’s bill: the Foreign Influence Transparency (FIT) Bill.
PILLAR has consistently advocated for a Digital Bill of Rights approach that prioritises parental empowerment, digital literacy, education, targeted enforcement against genuinely illegal content, and privacy-respecting tools over broad government controls.
Recent events demonstrate New Zealand can no longer afford to remain reactive on issues of digital freedom and foreign interference.
PILLAR will now begin engaging with members of parliament, legal experts and civil society organisations with the goal of introducing the proposal to parliament. Nathan Seiuli says the choice facing New Zealand is bigger than social media.
The public does not want a lesson in governance theory. They want democratic control and competent delivery. What do you think, are elected leaders still truly in charge, or has the balance tipped too far toward the bureaucracy?
PILLAR is calling on parliament to ensure any expansion of biometric surveillance powers is accompanied by clear statutory safeguards, independent oversight mechanisms, transparency requirements and meaningful protections for privacy rights guaranteed under New Zealand law.
The presenters named are not independent health educators. Each is a registered member of PATHA – the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa – the activist organisation currently waging a court battle against the New Zealand Government’s puberty blocker ban.
History demonstrates that broad censorial powers rarely remain narrowly confined.
“In today’s security environment, these are no longer just cars. They are data platforms with the capacity to collect, store, and transmit sensitive personal and geolocation information,” said Nathan Seiuli, executive director of PILLAR NZ.
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins recently described the current environment as “the most dangerous we have ever lived in”.
National, ACT, NZ First and Te Pāti Māori supporters had net favourability to the ban, with Labour voters evenly split, and Green voters unsurprisingly opposed.
Police weaponisation of HDCA against vulnerable whistle-blower should result in the HDCA’s immediate legislative repeal.
