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“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…

Cabinet papers are usually first considered by a Cabinet committee, with the decisions then confirmed by Cabinet. However, sometimes a paper may need to be submitted directly to Cabinet for consideration for matters that are particularly urgent or…

The New Zealand Order of Merit, The Queen has been pleased, on the celebration of the New Year, to make the following appointments to The New Zealand Order of Merit:, GNZM, To be a Knight Grand Companion of the said Order: Sir Stephen Robert Tindall, KNZM…

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…

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…

Proactive release of information about management of ministerial conflicts of interest, 26 October 2017 – 30 September 2018, Explanatory note The table below is a summary of certain actions taken by Ministers during the period 26 October 2017 to 30…

Official Information Act 1982 request received on 17 Sep 2018, All papers, memos, letters and briefings relating to the New Zealand Honour System between the formation of the coalition government in 2017 and June 2018., Information being released, From…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the requirements agreed to by Cabinet for agencies to implement the New Zealand Business Number (the NZBN).  This circular updates and replaces CO (16) 3.  2 An agency must give effect to, or have regard to, some or…

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…

Introduction, 1 This circular sets out the guidelines and requirements for Ministers and departments seeking approval of proposals with financial implications, changes to appropriations, and the authority to incur expenses. 2 This circular updates and…

On some occasions papers may not go ahead for consideration at a meeting that they have been lodged for, or a Cabinet committee might decide that a paper should not proceed. In these instances, Ministers may choose to withdraw a submission from a meeting…

The New Zealand Order of Merit, The Queen has been pleased, on the occasion of the celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to make the following appointments to The New Zealand Order of Merit:, DNZM, To be Dames Companion of the said Order: Ms Catherine…

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…

The Order of New Zealand, The Queen has been pleased, on the celebration of the New Year, to make the following appointment to The Order of New Zealand: ONZ To be a Member of the said Order: Ms Cassia Joy Coles (Joy Cowley), DCNZM, OBE , of Featherston.…

Proactive release of information about management of ministerial conflicts of interest, 1 October 2016 – 30 September 2017,  , Explanatory note, The table below is a summary of actions taken by Ministers during the period 1 October 2016 to 30 September…

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…

Appointments made by the Governor-General outside Executive Council, Templates are available for appointments made by the Governor-General or appointments made by the Administrator of the Government outside of Executive Council . The Administrator fulfils…

When the Governor-General is overseas, then the Administrator of the Government fulfills the Governor-General's functions. The Administrator of the Government is the Chief Justice of New Zealand. In such cases the advice sheet must be addressed to the…

Introduction, This section provides information on international treaty making and the process for international treaty papers, including: the difference between international treaties and arrangements an outline of when Cabinet’s approval is required…

Any proposal to sign an international treaty, or to take binding treaty action, must be submitted to Cabinet for approval (see paragraph 5.80 of the Cabinet Manual ). The term “binding treaty action” refers not only to the conclusion of a treaty, but also…

The key features of the parliamentary treaty examination process, set out on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website , are as follows. The Cabinet Manual and Standing Orders require the government to present all multilateral treaties and major…

As a general rule, Ministers should put before their colleagues the sorts of issues on which they themselves would wish to be consulted.  Ministers should keep their colleagues informed about matters of public interest, importance, or controversy. Where…

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…

The Executive Council (EC) is the highest formal instrument of government, through which the government collectively and formally advises the Governor-General. All Ministers of the Crown are members of EC (whether those Ministers are inside or outside…

If any policy changes need to be made to a bill after it has been through the policy and legislative Cabinet committee stages and been introduced, this is usually done through a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP). An SOP that serves a mechanical purpose (e.g…

Process for the development and making of secondary legislation, Download a PDF of the regulation work flow below.   The process for developing secondary legislation to be made by Order in Council, contained in paragraph 7.95 of the Cabinet Manual , is as…

Once the policy content of secondary legislation has been agreed and the legislation has been drafted, authorisation must be sought through Cabinet Legislation Committee (LEG) for the item to be submitted to the Executive Council (EC). Among other things…