26243 (2026). Camilla Belich to the Minister of Health

26243 (2026). Camilla Belich to the Minister of Health: How many confidential settlement agreements, non-disclosure agreements or confidentiality clauses, if any, have been entered into with employees, former employees, contractors, or office holders by any agency, department, Crown entity, company, or other organisation for which the Minister is responsible since 27 November 2023, broken down by organisation, total cost, and year, as at 5 June 2026?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that 244 non-disclosure agreements have been signed by Health New Zealand employees since November 2023, with not all still active. These NDAs were used to protect commercially sensitive projects and confidential information, and in the course of commercial negotiations. I am further advised that 84 personal grievances were settled by Health NZ in 2024/25. Due to ongoing work to centralise its data information systems, Health NZ is unable to provide total settlement costs for 2023/24 and the current financial year in the timeframe available. I am also advised that Health NZ includes confidentiality clauses in its settlement agreements setting out that settlement itself and matters relating to it remain confidential to the parties up to the maximum extent permitted by law. Generally, these provisions contain exceptions for engaging with professional bodies; compliance with the workforce assurance standards, or other legal mechanisms. Health NZ considers confidentiality and whether it is appropriate on a case by case basis, including the expectation of the Public Services Commission that confidentiality agreements do not allow workers to ‘cover up’ wrong doing. This approach is consistent with the usual approach to mediated settlement agreements and the confidentiality of mediation.