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Overseas travel 2.119 Overseas travel by Ministers or Parliamentary Under-Secretaries can provide important benefits to their portfolios and to New Zealand generally. 2.120 To ensure that their travel is approved properly and undertaken in an appropriate…

3.1 This chapter covers: the relationship between Ministers and the various organisations that are part of the executive branch of government; the standards of integrity and conduct expected throughout the public sector. 3.2 In this chapter, the term: “…

Public service 3.4 “Public service” is the term used to describe all public service departments, departmental agencies, interdepartmental executive boards, and interdepartmental ventures listed in Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act 2020 (together…

3.8 The formal relationship between Ministers and the public service is governed primarily by the Public Service Act 2020 and the Public Finance Act 1989 . The relationship is also governed by convention, the main aspects of which are set out in this…

General principles 3.54 The Crown has an ownership interest in a range of companies in the public sector. 3.55 Companies that are wholly or majority owned by the Crown are usually (although not always) subject to a statutory accountability regime, such as…

Principles of public service 3.69 New Zealand's public sector is founded on the principles of political neutrality, free and frank advice, merit-based appointments, open government, and stewardship. These principles and agencies' responsibilities are set…

4.1 This chapter covers: the role of the Attorney-General, including the law officer role; the relationship between Ministers and the judiciary; litigation involving Ministers, including judicial review and proceedings taken by or against a Minister…

General 4.2 The Attorney-General is the principal legal adviser (the “senior law officer”) to the government. The Attorney-General is a Minister and almost always a member of Cabinet. In Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings, the Attorney-General gives…

4.12 The separation of the Executive and the judiciary under New Zealand's system of government means that Ministers must exercise judgement before commenting on matters before the courts or judicial decisions, whether generally, or in relation to the…

4.17 Cabinet Office Circular CO (16) 2 Cabinet Directions for the Conduct of Crown Legal Business is available on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website . These directions set out the processes to be followed when: Ministers seek legal…

Judicial review 4.19 “Judicial review” is the review by a Judge of the High Court of any exercise of, or non-exercise of, a decision-making power in order to determine whether or not the decision was lawful or valid. Most formal decisions taken by the…

General 4.62 Legal advice in departmental documents and Cabinet papers should be protected from disclosure in a manner consistent with the law. The guidance in paragraphs 4.63 - 4.72 sets out the required approach to the release of legal advice. Guidance…

General 4.74 This guidance provides information on the different types of inquiry, and the principles that apply to their establishment. 4.75 Statutory inquiries, non-statutory ministerial inquiries, and standing statutory bodies with powers of inquiry…

5.1 This chapter covers: Cabinet and Cabinet committees; the main principles and procedures governing decision-making by Ministers in the Cabinet and Cabinet committee system; the roles of the Secretary of the Cabinet and the Cabinet Office.

5.2 Cabinet is the central decision-making body of executive government. It is a collective forum for Ministers to decide significant government issues and to keep colleagues informed of matters of public interest and controversy. 5.3 Cabinet is central…

5.6 Cabinet committees provide the forum for detailed consideration and discussion of issues before their reference to Cabinet, with officials available to assist Ministers if the committee wishes. Almost all matters are considered first by one or more…

Information about the membership and terms of reference of Cabinet committees, any coalition or other agreements between political parties, and Cabinet Office circulars is available on the website of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, dpmc.…

Speeches concerning the Governor-General's role during transitions and government formation are available on the Governor-General's website, gg.govt.nz . Detailed guidance for public servants during elections can be found on the Public Service Commission…

7.146 A senior court may declare that an Act is inconsistent with rights set out in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 in a way that has not been justified in a free and democratic society. The Human Rights Review Tribunal may issue an equivalent…

The Protective Security Requirements set out the Government's expectations for managing personnel, physical, and information security. They set out what agencies must consider to ensure that they are managing protective security effectively. They are…

Published in 2023 by the Cabinet Office, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand © Crown Copyright This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. In essence, you…

This page contains the text of a speech given by Michael Webster, former Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council, to the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand   in August 2017. It provides a history of the New Zealand Cabinet…

General 6.21 On occasion, it is necessary for a government to remain in office on an interim basis, when it has lost the confidence of the House or, after an election, until a new ministry is appointed following the government formation process. During…

The Cabinet Office is a ‘government secretariat’ that provides impartial support to central government decision-making processes. This section includes: the role of Cabinet and the Executive Council Ministerial portfolios the functions of the Cabinet…

The New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration:, Captain Matthew Gordon Carey, (For security reasons relating to the New Zealand Defence Force the identity of the recipient was not made public until 8 March 2023.) For services to the New Zealand Defence…

Accessible version If you require an accessible version please contact [email protected] and cite Proactive Release: Governor-General (Allowance) Order 2022 (CAB-22-SUB-0565/CAB-22-MIN-0565) as a reference. The following documents have been…

The New Zealand Order of Merit, The King has been pleased, on the celebration of the New Year, to make the following appointments to The New Zealand Order of Merit:, DNZM, To be Dames Companion of the said Order: Ms Miranda Catherine Millais Harcourt,…

To be a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:, HARCOURT, Ms Miranda Catherine Millais, ONZM, For services to the screen industry and theatre Ms Miranda Harcourt has made award-winning contributions to the theatre and screen industries as an…

To be a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:, BLOOMFIELD, Dr Ashley Robin, For services to public health Dr Ashley Bloomfield was the Director-General of Health from 2018 until 2022 and led the health sector and the successful management of…