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Key points The government has adjusted some aspects of the processes for selecting Law Commission projects, how the Parliamentary Counsel Office should work with the Law Commission and responding to Law Commission reports on government references....

Introduction 1Cabinet has recently agreed to changes in the Financial Veto procedure. This Circular updates and replaces Cabinet Office Circular CO (98) 15, “Financial Veto Procedure” 15 October 1998. It provides: an outline of the Crown...

Introduction and key points 1The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) provides for the Minister for the Environment (and, in some instances, the Minister of Conservation) to intervene in matters of national significance under the RMA. Cabinet has...

Summary of key points 1Cabinet has agreed that it will make explicit decisions on whether draft Bills should include a provision stating that the Act will bind the Crown. This decision will be made at the policy development stage. The practical...

Summary of Key Points Cabinet has agreed that the New Zealand Government Locator Service (NZGLS) Metadata Standard will be the official New Zealand Government standard for creating discovery level metadata. The NZGLS standard provides a standardised...

Key Points Cabinet has agreed to standardise procedures for including non-official representatives on official New Zealand delegations to international meetings. Decisions about including non-official representatives in official delegations...

Summary 1 The Remuneration Authority (the Authority) is responsible for setting the remuneration of a number of individuals appointed to statutory bodies and other positions. This circular: 1.1 outlines the role of the Authority in relation to...

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

Introduction 1 Cabinet has agreed to legislate (with additional admininistrative enhancements) to require the government to disclose key features of all legislation (with limited exemptions), substantive Supplementary Order Papers (SOP) (where a...

Introduction 1This Circular replaces Cabinet Office Circular CO (06) 6 Whole of Government Directions under the Crown Entities Act 2004. 2A direction to support a whole of government approach under section 107 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 (the...

Introduction 1On 15 February 2016 Cabinet approved new Cabinet Directions for the Conduct of Crown Legal Business. 2The new Directions are annexed to this Circular. Their primary purpose is to identify core Crown legal matters, to set out how those...

Purpose 1This 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 26 October 2017, when...

Introduction 1This circular sets out guidelines agreed by Cabinet for policy-makers to consider the Treaty of Waitangi in policy development and implementation.

1 In June 2014, Cabinet approved the Attorney-General’s Protocol for Release of Draft Government Legislation outside the Crown.  2 In September 2018, Cabinet agreed to amend the Protocol to enable: 2.1 the release of draft legislation to...

Introduction 1This 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.  2An agency must give effect to, or have regard...

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. Key points 2 All Cabinet and Cabinet...

Introduction 1 This circular sets out guidelines and requirements agreed by Cabinet for Ministers and departments involved in contemporary Treaty of Waitangi issues, including: 1.1processes for appointing lead Ministers and agencies for...

Introduction 1This circular sets out the requirements for Ministers and agencies seeking approvals relating to government regulatory proposals.

Key Points 1This circular sets out the requirements for central government agencies to estimate and disclose the greenhouse gas emission implications when certain types of policy proposals are presented to Cabinet. It has been updated to reflect...

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...

Key Points 1This circular provides guidance on the management of parliamentary business after Parliament has been dissolved. The key points are as follows: 1.1all parliamentary business will lapse on Sunday, 6 September 2020, when Parliament...

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

Introduction 1Following the general election on 17 October 2020, the Leader of the Labour Party has announced that she is able to lead a government that has the support of a majority of the House. 2In accordance with the convention on caretaker...

Introduction 1The New Zealand Labour Party and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have signed a cooperation agreement.  This circular sets out the next steps in the transition to a new administration. Appointment of the new ministry...

Introduction 1This circular provides practical guidance for Ministers[1] and departments on implementing the cooperation agreement between the Labour Party and the Green Party entered into when the government was formed following the 2020 general...

Summary of Key Points Cabinet has agreed to adopt a policy framework for regulating occupations. A copy of the framework is attached to this circular. All departments and agencies should follow the principles contained in the framework when...

Introduction 1The Legislation Guidelines (2021 edition) are the government's key point of reference for assessing whether draft legislation conforms to accepted legal and constitutional principles. 2The Legislation Guidelines set out guidance on...

Summary 1The government wishes to see a more diverse range of individuals appointed to government bodies. Cabinet has directed those involved in appointment processes to explore alternative means of finding candidates if existing methods do not...

Key Points This circular provides advice on the appointment of public servants to statutory boards. The circular notes that: Cabinet has agreed that, as a general rule, Ministers should not appoint public servants to statutory boards. There...

This circular has been updated to reflect the changes to Ministerial portfolios that took place on 14 June 2022. 1The Prime Minister has agreed to the updated terms of reference and membership of Cabinet committees. The Cabinet committees are: 1....

Introduction 1This circular sets out advice on the death of Her Majesty The Queen, the New Zealand response, and the effect of The Queen’s death on New Zealand’s constitutional situation, including implications for Cabinet processes and other matters...

Introduction 1This circular sets out the requirements for bids for bills to be awarded places on the 2023 Legislation Programme. 2Ministers and agencies are asked to consider legislative priorities for the remainder of the term of the 53rd...

1Cabinet recently 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 interest [APH-22-MIN-0195]. 2This circular and the attached Framework replaces...

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...

Introduction 1As announced by the Prime Minister on 19 January 2023, the 2023 general election is to be held on Saturday, 14 October 2023. The “pre-election period” is generally regarded as being the three months before a general election. The pre-...