Cabinet Committees: Terms of Reference and Membership
CO (12) 1
26 January 2012
Intended for
All Chief Executives
Chief of Staff, Prime Minister's Office
All Senior Private Secretaries
All Private Secretaries
Chief Parliamentary Counsel
Cabinet Committees: Terms of Reference and Membership
1This circular sets out information on the revised structure and operation of Cabinet committees under the new National-led government.
2The first regular Cabinet committee meetings will start on Wednesday, 8 February 2012. The full regular Cabinet committee meeting weekly timetable will commence from the week beginning Monday, 13 February 2012. Further advice on the meeting timetable will be issued shortly.
Cabinet committees
3The structure and membership of Cabinet committees have now been finalised. Their terms of reference and membership are attached.
4There are 11 Cabinet committees:
4.1Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee (APH);
4.2Cabinet Business Committee (CBC);
4.3Cabinet Committee on Canterbury Earthquake Recovery (CER);
4.4Cabinet Committee on Domestic and External Security (DES);
4.5Cabinet Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee (EGI);
4.6Cabinet External Relations and Defence Committee (ERD);
4.7Cabinet Legislation Committee (LEG);
4.8Cabinet Social Policy Committee (SOC);
4.9Cabinet Committee on State Sector Reform and Expenditure Control (SEC);
4.10Cabinet Strategy Committee (STR);
4.11Cabinet Committee on Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (TOW).
5A number of the former Cabinet committees (AGR, DOM and RWC) have been disestablished and, where necessary, their functions have been reallocated across the remaining committees.
6The terms of reference for each Cabinet committee include a list of relevant portfolios. These lists are not intended to be exclusive. Some portfolios will involve issues relevant to a number of committees. Papers should be submitted to the most relevant committee for the particular issue (the Cabinet Office can provide advice in such cases).
7STR will continue to provide Ministers with an opportunity to discuss, at a high level, the overall strategic direction and policy priorities of the government. It is not intended that detailed policy proposals will be considered at STR.
8Once normal Cabinet committee meetings commence, CBC will only meet as required in weeks when the House is adjourned. Only papers with specific timing pressures that require decisions before the next scheduled applicable committee meeting should be submitted for CBC meetings.
Officials’ committees to support Cabinet committees
9Advice on the membership and operation of officials’ committees to support Cabinet committees will be provided shortly.
Rebecca Kitteridge
Secretary of the Cabinet
Enquiries:
Martin Bell, Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet
Ph: (04) 817 9740
martin.bell@dpmc.govt.nz
Saphron Powell, Committee Secretary
Ph: (04) 817 9336
saphron.powell@dpmc.govt.nz
Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee (APH)To consider appointments to statutory and other government agencies, chief executive appointments, nominations for New Zealand Royal Honours, and associated policy. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios All portfolios |
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Frequency Meets weekly during sitting weeks |
Cabinet Business Committee (CBC)To consider policy issues, appointments, bills and regulations, and other matters that require decisions before the next scheduled applicable Cabinet committee meeting, when other committees are not meeting and the House is adjourned. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios All portfolios |
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Frequency Meets during non-sitting weeks as required |
Cabinet Committee on Canterbury Earthquake Recovery (CER)To oversee and co-ordinate the government's response to support the recovery and reconstruction of Canterbury following the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios Arts, Culture and Heritage |
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Frequency Meets as required during sitting weeks |
Cabinet Committee on Domestic and External Security (DES)To co-ordinate and direct the national response to a major crisis or to circumstances affecting national security (such as a natural disaster, biosecurity problem, health emergency, or terrorist/military threat) within New Zealand or involving New Zealand's interests overseas. To consider issues of oversight, organisation and priorities for the New Zealand intelligence community and any issues which, because of their security or intelligence implications, the Prime Minister directs be considered by the committee. To consider policy and other matters relating to domestic and external security co-ordination. This Cabinet committee will have Power to Act where the need for urgent action and/or operational or security considerations require. Decisions of the committee under power to act will be reported to the next Cabinet meeting as appropriate. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key With the addition of the Minister of Civil Defence for civil defence matters and other portfolio Ministers as appropriate. |
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Relevant Portfolios Civil Defence |
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Frequency Meets when required |
Cabinet Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee (EGI)To consider policy issues relating to economic growth, infrastructure, natural resources and local government, including Auckland issues. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios Broadcasting |
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Frequency Meets weekly during sitting weeks |
Cabinet External Relations and Defence Committee (ERD)To consider policy issues and other matters relating to foreign affairs, international trade, development assistance, and defence. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios Defence |
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Frequency Meets fortnightly during sitting weeks (alternates with meetings of TOW) |
Cabinet Legislation Committee (LEG)To consider the legislation programme, draft Bills and regulations, government responses to petitions, select committee reports, and Law Commission reports. Government responses to significant select committee reports and Law Commission reports should be dealt with at a policy committee if they involve new policy or amendments to existing policy. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios All portfolios |
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Frequency Meets weekly during sitting weeks |
Cabinet Social Policy Committee (SOC)To consider social policy issues, including education, health, justice and law and order, and welfare reform. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios ACC |
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Frequency Meets weekly during sitting weeks |
Cabinet Committee on State Sector Reform and Expenditure Control (SEC)To control and review government expenditure to improve value for money in the State sector, and to consider State sector reform and other State sector issues. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios All portfolios |
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Frequency Meets weekly during sitting weeks |
Cabinet Strategy Committee (STR)To set the overall strategic direction and policy priorities of the government. This Cabinet committee will not be used for detailed policy development or implementation, which will be considered by the relevant policy committee once the strategic direction has been set. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios All portfolios |
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Frequency Meets on the first Monday of each House sitting period |
Cabinet Committee on Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (TOW)To consider Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations, and other policy issues relating to the Treaty of Waitangi. |
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Membership (Chair in bold) Rt Hon John Key |
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Relevant Portfolios Attorney-General |
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Frequency Meets fortnightly during sitting weeks (alternates with meetings of ERD) |
