Te Tari Taiwhenua
Internal Affairs
6 March 2024
Ministerial Services
45 Pipitea St, Thorndon
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Website: www.dia.govt.nz
A Collins
fyi-reg uest-2 5656-
8e087 3a8@req uests. fyi.org. nz
Dear A Collins
Official Information Act request (OIA 2324-0567}
Thank you for your request for information dated 7 February 2024 made under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department). You
requested the following information:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request a list of ministerial staff positions/titles
in each separate ministerial office currently employed and the number of people in each
role.
Response to your request
There are three types of staff who work in Ministers' offices:
• Department-employed staff assigned to work in a Minister's office;
• Roving staff, also employed by the Department, although not assigned to a Minister's
office. They are deployed across Ministerial offices in a range of roles to provide cover
for offices in situations of planned and unplanned leave and surge support; and
• Portfolio Private Secretaries who are seconded to Ministers' offices by government
agencies (also known as home agencies) to facilitate the management of Ministers'
portfolio responsibilities.
I have interpreted Ministerial staff to refer to Department-employed staff who are assigned
to work in a Minister's office and roving staff.
See
Appendix A for a table showcasing Ministerial staff positions/titles in each separate
Ministerial office and the number of individuals in each role. The information provided is
accurate as of 7 February 2024, this being the date your request was made.
It's important to note the following:
• In any Ministerial office, the number and type or focus of roles may change over time.
• Transitional staff that are currently employed by the Department have been outlined
in
Appendix A under
General Election 2023 A, 8, C,
and D. Staff in this category may be
placed in a Ministerial office at various times to provide transitional support where
required, while recruitment activities are completed for these roles.
We may publish this OIA response on www.dia.govt.n2(with your personal details having been
removed). Publishing responses to OIA requests increases the availability of information to
the public and is consistent with the purpose of the Act to enable effective participation in the
making and administration of laws and policies, and to promote the accountability of Ministers
and officials.
If you have any concerns with the information in this response, you have a right to request an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. Information on
how to do this is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Briget Ridden
General Manager - Ministerial Services
Te Haumi - Enterprise Partnerships
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
Pagel o/6
Appendix A: Ministerial office staff employed by the Department broken down by
Ministerial office and number of individuals in each role.
Minister's office
I Number of employees
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
18
Chief of Staff*
1
Chief Policy Advisor
1
Chief Press Secretary
1
Deputy Chief of Staff
1
Deputy Chief Press Secretary
1
Executive Assistc1nt (Correspondence Unit)
1
Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff
1
Lead Advisor
1
Lead Advisor {Correspondence Unit)
1
Manager Research, Communications and Digital
1
Press Secretary (Level 1)
2
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary {Inside Cabinet)
1
Specialist Ministerial Advisor**
2
Hon Nicola Willis
5
Ministerial Advisor (Level 1)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary {Inside Cabinet)
1
Specialist Ministerial Advisor
1
Hon Chris Bishop
6
Ministerial Advisor (Level 1)
1
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Specialist Ministerial Advisor
1
Hon Dr Shane Reti
5
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Simeon Brown
4
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Page3 o/6
Minister's office
I Number of employees
Senior Press Secretary
1
Hon Erica Stanford
3
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
2
Hon Paul Goldsmith
3
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Press Secretary (Level 1)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Louise Upston
3
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Judith Collins
s
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Mark Mitchell
4
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Press Secretary
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Todd Mcclay
3
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Tama Potaka
2
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Matt Doocey
4
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Press Secretary (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Melissa Lee
4
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Press Secretary (Level 1)
1
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Simon Watts
2
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Hon Penny Simmonds
3
Ministerial Advisor (Level 1)
1
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Senior Private Secretary {Outside Cabinet)
1
Page4 of6
Minister's office
I Number of employees
Hon Chris Penk
2
Ministerial Advisor (Level 1)
1
Senior
Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Hon Nicola Grigg
2
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Hon Andrew Bayly
3
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Hon David Seymour
5
Chief of Staff*
1
Deputy Chief of Staff (Coalition Party)
1
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Brooke van Velden
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Hon Nicole McKee
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Hon Andrew Hoggard
4
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Press Secretary (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Hon Karen Chhour
2
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Simon Court MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Rt Hon Winston Peters
6
Chief of Staff*
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Specialist Ministerial Advisor
1
Hon Shane Jones
3
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Hon Casey Costello
3
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Press Secretary
2
Hon Mark Patterson
1
Senior Private Secretary (Outside Cabinet)
1
Jenny Marcroff MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
1
Senior Private Secretary
1
Pages o/6
Transitional/Roving Staff
I Number of employees
General Election 2023 A
3
Private Secretary (Administration)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
General Election 2023 B
5
Press Secretary (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
2
Senior Ministerial Advisor
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
General Election 2023 C
6
Ministerial Advisor (Level 2)
1
Private Secretary (Advisory/Media)
1
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
2
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
2
General Election 2023 D
2
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
1
Senior Private Secretary (Inside Cabinet)
1
Ministerial Resourcing
5
Roving Press Secretary (Level 2)
1
Roving Private Secretary (Executive Support)
2
Roving Senior Private Secretary
2
Grand Total
130
*The offices of Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Rt Hon Winston Peters, and Hon David Seymour
each have a Chief of Staff that as at 7
February 2024 were seconded to the Department from
the Parliamentary Service, to provide support in their respective Ministerial offices.
**Two Specialist Ministerial Advisors are employed in the Prime Ministers Office; however
one is currently providing support to the office of Hon Nicola Willis.
***Staff listed under the categories "General Election 2023 A, B, C, and D" are individuals
who were employed in Ministerial offices prior to the 2023 General Election. They are
currently assigned to various Ministerial Office's on a transitional basis to support the new
government whilst recruitment activities are completed for these roles. At the end of their
transitional period, they may either cease their employment with the Department or be
appointed into roles within the new Minister's offices.
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