13738 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Māori Development

13738 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Māori Development: What is the total amount, if any, spent on external legal advice or law firms by any agencies under the Minister’s responsibility since 27 November 2023, broken down by firm and purpose?

Hon Tama Potaka: I am advised by Te Puni Kōkiri that searching for such information for the specific period 27 November 2023 to date would require the Ministry to undertake a substantial manual collation exercise and divert staff from their core duties. In accordance with Speaker’s Ruling 199-3, I consider that the time, and hence the expense, of answering this question in the timeframe allowed for written parliamentary questions, is not in the public interest.