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Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the Government’s expectations for good law-making to ensure responsible regulation. 2 Responsible regulation can help governments to achieve their desired economic, environmental and social outcomes, support the…

Introduction, 1 As announced by the Prime Minister on 21 January 2026, the 2026 general election is to be held on, 7 November 2026, . The "pre-election period" is generally regarded as being the three months before a general election. The pre-election…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the requirements for bids for bills seeking placement on the 2026 Legislation Programme. 2 When submitting bids, Ministers and agencies are asked to consider core legislative priorities to be delivered before the…

Agencies that prepare Cabinet papers are responsible for ensuring that appropriate consultation is undertaken on draft Cabinet papers and other material that is intended for consideration by Cabinet, that other agencies are given reasonable time to…

  “Advice given to Ministers must be honest, impartial, and include all relevant information. It must also be responsive to the priorities determined by the government of the day. Advice should be free and frank, and acknowledge any key information gaps,…

This section outlines the need for a range of consultation on Cabinet and Cabinet committee papers and the process for consultation, including: the process for agency consultation , which includes consultation with the Department of the Prime Minister and…

Cabinet Fees Framework for members appointed to bodies in which the Crown has an interest, 1 Cabinet has agreed to a revised Fees Framework for determining or reassessing the fees paid to members of statutory and other bodies in which the Crown has an…

Introduction, 1 In November 2024, Cabinet Circular CO (24) 6 asked Ministers and agencies to submit bids for bills seeking places on the 2025 Legislation Programme. At that time, it was noted that the Leader of the House, in consultation with the Prime…

Papers seeking approval for treaty actions generally follow the format of standard Cabinet papers. Below is an annotated example of an international treaty action paper.   [ Security classification – minimum of In Confidence required]   Office of the…

Key points, 1 This circular sets out the requirements for Ministers and agencies developing government regulatory proposals. Government agencies and Ministers should not see regulation as the first resort for problem solving. Where regulation is proposed…

Cabinet paper attachments are usually one of the following: appointments information ( Organisation form  and  Candidate CV form , which should be combined into one document when uploaded into CabNet) additional supporting information that is presented…

Purpose, 1 This circular sets out Government expectations for how the targeting, commissioning, and design of public services should be based on the needs of all New Zealanders. 2 This circular gives effect to the commitment in the coalition agreements…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the requirements for developing and maintaining Performance Plans. 2 Achieving a sustainable fiscal outlook while delivering efficient, effective, and responsive public services requires planning and oversight of…

Introduction, 1 This circular provides guidance for Ministers [1] and agencies on the consultation and operating arrangements agreed to by the Coalition Government, comprising the National Party, the ACT Party, and the New Zealand First Party. 2 Ministers…

Step 1: Gather information about the future , Indicative timeframe: April to May 2024 During Step 1, departments gather information on future trends, risks, and opportunities. This provides the basis in Step 2 for considering the topic for the Briefing.…

Think pieces on New Zealand's future, The Long-term Insights Briefings are think pieces on important issues for the future of New Zealand. They're an opportunity to enhance public debate on long-term issues and contribute to future decision making.  The s…

The Briefings development process, Development steps, Indicative timeframe, 1. Gather information about the future April to May 2024 2. Consider topic and potential for joint Briefings May to June 2024 3. Engagement on proposed topic June to Sept 2024 4.…

CO (24) 1: Cabinet Committees: Terms of Reference and Membership, This circular provides an updated membership list for Cabinet Committees following the ministerial change on 7 April 2026. 1 The Prime Minister has agreed to the updated terms of reference…

Introduction, 1 The Leader of the National Party has announced his intention to form a coalition government with the ACT Party and the New Zealand First Party that is able to command the confidence of the House of Representatives. 2 This circular sets out…

What is CabNet, CabNet is a secure platform for supporting Cabinet and Cabinet committee processes . It is used by government agencies and Minister’s offices, and maintained by the Cabinet Office. CabNet is used to manage Cabinet and Cabinet committee…

Introduction, 1 Following the general election on 14 October 2023, negotiations to form a government are expected to commence shortly. 2 In accordance with the convention on caretaker government, the Prime Minister has indicated that the incumbent…

Introduction, 1 This circular supersedes Cabinet Office circular CO (19) 6, and gives effect to Cabinet’s intention to: 1.1 make the best investment choices for current and future generations; 1.2 ensure there is active stewardship of government resources…

Introduction, 1 In January this year the Cabinet Office issued guidance on government decision making in the pre-election period 1 . That guidance noted that the government has the right to govern as usual until the election. As in previous election years…

Key points, 1 This circular provides guidance on the management of parliamentary business after Parliament has been dissolved. The key points are as follows: 1.1 all parliamentary business will lapse on, Friday 8 September 2023, , when Parliament is…

Purpose, 1 This circular sets out the requirement for public service agencies to identify and justify the use of paid external resources (such as consultants or contractors) engaged in the development of policy advice to Cabinet., Context, 2 In line with…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out guidance agreed to by Cabinet for Ministers and officials dealing with inside information relating to listed issuers (including mixed ownership model companies and other companies in which the Crown has an ownership…

Purpose, 1 This circular sets out the requirements and procedures for the proactive release of Cabinet material (Cabinet and Cabinet committee papers and minutes). It updates and replaces previous advice, introducing the new requirement for departments to…

Cabinet papers and minutes must be proactively released within 30 business days of final decisions being taken by Cabinet, unless there is good reason not to publish all or part of the material, or to delay the release. This policy applies to all papers…

The Cost-of-Living Implications section of the Cabinet policy paper template should be used to summarise the likely impacts that the proposal in the Cabinet paper will have on the cost of living. The section is primarily descriptive and seeks to…

This section provides information on the Cabinet process for Ministers' and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries’ overseas travel and Cabinet travel paper requirements. Follow this link for templates for the two kinds of travel papers (requests for Ministerial…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the process for developing the Statutes Amendment Bill in 2023., Process for the Bill, This circular sets out the seven key steps involved in the preparation of Statutes Amendment Bills, which range from the…

The Implementation Unit supports the public service to strengthen implementation of Government’s key priorities. This guidance is to assist those responsible for implementing complex programmes, and draws on agencies’ experience and expertise. The…