45795 (2025). Hon Dr Megan Woods to the Minister for Energy

Written Question

Published date: 03 Oct 2025

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	45795 (2025)
Question asked:	23 Sep 2025
Member asking:	Hon Dr Megan Woods
Portfolio:	Minister for Energy
Minister replying:	Hon Simon Watts
Answer received:	29 Sep 2025
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_45795_2025
Document guid:	1a2d51f5-a7d2-44e8-bf8b-12422568f3f1

45795 (2025). Hon Dr Megan Woods to the Minister for Energy: What steps were taken to guarantee the independence of Frontier Economics from government policy preferences during the electricity market performance review?

Hon Simon Watts: MBIE ran an open and competitive procurement process to support the electricity market review. The process awarded contracts to independent and international consultants, including the lead reviewer and two peer reviewers. The inclusion of peer reviewers added a critical layer of independence and rigour to the review. The objectives of the Request for Proposal (RFP) were based on the Terms of Reference (ToR), which guided the scope and expectations of the review. By engaging two independent peer reviewers, MBIE strengthened the credibility and transparency of the findings.