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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…

The items considered by Cabinet and Cabinet committees are most often Cabinet papers. Sometimes oral items may also be considered (refer to the further guidance on oral items for information about when an oral item may be appropriate).  There are a number…

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…

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 the principles that guide Ministers’ access to the records of the previous administration. It also provides guidance for officials handling requests for official information received before 27 November 2023, when the new…

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…

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…

Cabinet Office issues formal advice about the operation of the executive government, most often in the form of a circular or a notice., Circulars, Circulars are public and provide information related to government operations. They are often supplements to…

Preparing Ministers’ papers for a meeting, Ministers receive all Cabinet and Cabinet committee items in hard copy from the Cabinet Office, unless they have opted to use CabDocs. Papers should be prepared for a Minister’s attendance at Cabinet or a Cabinet…

Impact analysis, within the context of preparing Cabinet material, is a process of defining the policy or operational problem that needs to be addressed, identifying policy objectives, and the full range of feasible options for addressing that problem.…

The Cabinet policy paper template is intended as a guide for the preparation of Cabinet policy papers, and outlines the headings and type of information that needs to be included in each section. The actual content and structure of a paper should be…

  The organisation form and candidate CV template are required to be attached to Cabinet appointment papers. See the Cabinet appointments paper template for more information about these requirements.  The Organisation form is required when proposing…

When developing policy proposals, consideration must be given to their consistency with domestic human rights legislation and New Zealand's international human rights obligations. These include the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 , the Human Rights…

Email request forms, Below is a list of the different forms that Ministers’ offices might need to submit to Cabinet Office on their Minister’s behalf. Ministers’ offices should copy the relevant form into an email, fill it out, and then send it to Cabinet…

“Power to Act” is when Cabinet or the Prime Minister authorise a Cabinet committee, Minister, or group of Ministers to undertake a specific action with their authority. Ministers who are granted Power to Act must then report-back to Cabinet on what they…

A late paper is any Cabinet paper which needs to be lodged, after 10.00am the Thursday before the meeting is due to take place, . If a Minister needs to submit a late paper to Cabinet or a Cabinet committee after the Thursday 10:00am deadline, then the…

An oral item is a verbal update given by a Minister to Cabinet on a matter of particular urgency, sensitivity, or significance, or to a Cabinet committee on a government priority area or work programme. Oral items must not be used to seek decisions on…

This page contains templates for the following: general government response paper to the Cabinet Legislation Committee seeking the approval of a government response to a select committee inquiry or petition government response to a Law Commission Report…

Once the policy content of a bill has been agreed, and the bill has been drafted, approval must be sought through LEG and Cabinet for the introduction of the bill to the House of Representatives. LEG will examine the bill to ensure that its policy content…

Papers that are submitted to Cabinet or committee seeking authorisation for the submission of secondary legislation to the Executive Council must follow the format set out below. Each heading must appear in the paper (write "not applicable" if the heading…

Cabinet papers on proposed overseas travel and reports on overseas travel are submitted directly to Cabinet, but do not require prior approval to go direct to Cabinet as other submissions do.  Below are templates for the two kinds of Cabinet travel papers…

The following template must be used for all papers requesting a priority in the annual Legislation Programme. The template indicates the headings to be used, and each heading must appear in the paper (write "not applicable" if the heading is not relevant…

A good Cabinet paper includes a clear statement of purpose, is based on sound information and analysis, and is well consulted across agencies, Ministers, and government parties. Good papers reflect robust policy development, and are informed by evidence…

This page sets out the requirements and processes for considering appointments (and reappointments) made by Ministers, the Governor-General on the advice of a Minister, or by the Governor-General in Executive Council. The standard process for appointments…

This wallchart provides an easy guide to the transmission, handling, storage, and disposal of different classifications of Cabinet material. See the CabGuide for more information on the secure handling of Cabinet material .

The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) provides for information to be protected to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy. “Cabinet material” includes Cabinet and Cabinet committee agendas, papers, and…

Laws usually come into effect only after their publication (with the exceptions being matters of national security or matters of particular commercial or legal significance where time is an overriding factor). The Parliamentary Counsel Office's (PCO’s)…

The Governor-General has delegated responsibility for the custody of the Seal of New Zealand to the Clerk of the Executive Council . Documents that require the Seal of New Zealand to be affixed to them include: warrants for the appointment of Ministers of…