Advocacy Alert: Arms Bill Introduced |

Submissions Will Matter

Today marks a significant day for the firearms and hunting community.

This morning, 10 December 2025, the Government formally introduced the Arms Bill to Parliament. Our Chief Executive Officer, Gwyn Thurlow, attended the Public Gallery and observed the Associate Minister of Justice, Hon Nicole McKee, deliver the Bill’s first reading speech. You can watch the full speech here.

There were very few MPs present in the Chamber and no media in attendance. The speeches that followed were largely predictable and generally supportive of the Bill, as it passed its First Reading. Later this afternoon, during Oral Question Time (Q7), the Minister again emphasised the importance of licensed firearms owners and hunters making submissions on the bill. You can watch that question and the Minister’s answers here.

The Arms Bill is substantial - 232 pages long, with over 50 policy changes. It proposes wide-ranging reforms, including changes to offences, licensing, firearms storage rules, the structure of firearms regulation, and the establishment of new independent bodies.

You can access a PDF of the bill here.

A key structural change proposed in the Bill is the removal of Police from firearms regulation, other than their role in enforcement. The Bill establishes a new Firearms Regulator, to be led by a chief executive who reports directly to the responsible Minister, rather than to the Police Commissioner. The chief executive must act independently of the Commissioner and the responsible Minister, and is not subject to any direction requiring the performance or non-performance of a particular act, or the bringing about of a particular result, in respect of a particular person or matter. The Bill also establishes the Firearms Licensing Review Committee, with the Review Committee comprising a lawyer appointed by the responsible Minister, a person appointed by the responsible Minister to represent the interests of licence holders, and a person appointed by the regulatory.

As usual, NZDA will now take the necessary time to read and analyse the Bill in full. This is complex legislation, and the Association will not be rushing to make public statements until the Bill has been properly understood, including how it interacts with existing law and what it means in practice for hunters, shooting clubs, ranges, and licensed firearms owners.

This is a significant moment for our community. The Government has signalled a full six-month select committee process, and Ministers have openly encouraged public submissions. That process will play a critical role in shaping how this law ultimately looks and operates.

NZDA strongly encourages all members to prepare to make submissions once the select committee process opens.

NZDA will:

Provide regular updates as the Bill is reviewed and progresses through Parliament
Identify and explain key issues for hunters and members
Offer guidance and resources to support member submissions

Further updates will follow as NZDA’s analysis progresses.

Key Links:

Arms Bill (as introduced)