66094 (2024). Rt Hon Chris Hipkins to the Prime Minister

66094 (2024). Rt Hon Chris Hipkins to the Prime Minister: What advice, if any, has he received from the Cabinet Office or any other office on the subject of conflicts of responsibilities between any minister’s portfolios since 27 November 2023, listed by title and date?

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon: Ministers are responsible for identifying and reviewing possible conflicts of interest and ensuring they are addressed promptly. The Cabinet Office, on behalf of the Prime Minister, supports Ministers in identifying and managing conflicts of interest that may arise in relation to their ministerial responsibilities. Successive Ombudsman have long held the view that Cabinet Office advice to Ministers is inherently confidential. It is in the public interest that the Cabinet Office can obtain and assess information about conflicts of interest and provide advice to Ministers on how to resolve them. Ministers are encouraged to seek advice from the Secretary of Cabinet on a confidential basis. Every year the Cabinet Office proactively releases some information about the management of ministerial conflicts in accordance with an agreement with the Office of the Ombudsman. This information covers transfers of responsibility and arrangements not to receive papers. These annual releases are published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s website at: Annual Ministers' interests releases | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). The information published for this administration covers the period 27 November 2023 to 30 April 2024. There are no items relating to portfolio conflicts during this time. Since this time there has been one transfer of responsibility due to a portfolio conflict that will be published in the next release. The details of that transfer are as follows: Minister: Hon Paul Goldsmith Matter at issue: Potential conflict between responsibilities as Minister for State Owned Enterprises (where the Minister for SOEs is a Crown shareholder in New Zealand Post Limited), and as Minister for Media and Communications (responsible for policy and other decisions that impact the postal services market). Action taken: Responsibilities, as Minister for State Owned Enterprises, as a Crown shareholder in New Zealand Post Limited transferred to Hon Bishop on 20 May 2024. Officials report directly to Hon Bishop in relation to the transferred responsibilities and any information relating to the transferred responsibilities received by Hon Goldsmith’s office is referred to Hon Bishop’s office.