5604 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

5604 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: How much has Health New Zealand spent specifically on executive search firms since 27 November 2023?

Hon Simeon Brown: Our Government is focused on delivering timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders. I am advised that Health New Zealand does not centrally track this information in a way that can be readily reported. Providing this information would require a manual review of individual recruitment invoices to determine if the invoice is from an executive or non-executive search firm, diverting staff from essential services. As per Speaker’s Ruling 185-6, the time and cost involved in answering this question are not justified in the public interest. However, I refer the Member to Written Parliamentary Question 3487 (2025) and Health New Zealand's Annual Reviews, which may be useful.