2 February 2026
Ref: OIA-2025/26-0411
Julian Jackson
[FYI request #33338 email]
Tēnā koe Julian,
Official Information Act request: Ministerial Advisory Committees
Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request received on 20 December 2025.
You requested:
“I am writing under the Official Information Act 1982 to request the following
information regarding ministerial advisory groups established since the formation of
the current coalition government (National, ACT, and New Zealand First) following
the 2023 general election:
1. A complete list of all ministerial advisory groups formed since 27 November
2023, including their official titles, responsible ministers, and terms of reference.
2. For each such group, please provide:
- The total allocated budget (including any revisions) for the group’s operations for
the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years;
- A breakdown and the totals of actual expenditures to date, including but not limited
to: payments or honoraria to members, catering and venue costs, administrative or
secretariat support, travel and accommodation, and any other operational expenses;
- Copies of any Cabinet papers, funding approvals, or internal budgeting documents
authorizing the group’s financial resourcing.
This request follows recent public reports indicating significant spending by some
advisory groups—for example, nearly $24,000 on catering for meetings of the
Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime—and growing public interest in
transparency around such expenditures.”
We have interpreted your request to be for a list of Ministerial Advisory Committees
(Committees) established since 27 November 2023, their Terms of Reference, and
associated operational details.
Part 1
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) does not hold a complete list of
all Committees formed since 27 November 2023, as not all Committees are established
following consideration by Cabinet. Accordingly, I am refusing this part of your request under
section 18(g) of the Act, on the grounds that that the information requested is not held by the
department, and I have no reason for believing that it is held by, or connected more closely
with the functions of, another department.
While we are unable to provide a list of all the Committees formed since 27 November 2023,
we have collated information that we do hold that is in scope of your request. Please see the
below table, which lists groups with the words “Ministerial Advisory” in their title that have
been considered by Cabinet since that date. Please note that there may be some additional
groups, which are in substance a Ministerial Advisory Committee but do not have the words
“Ministerial Advisory” in the title, or which were established prior to November 2023 but are
still in existence. In those cases, they will not have been identified by our search.
5136895
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
I can confirm that Rt Hon Christopher Luxon in his capacity as Prime Minister and/or Minister
for National Security and Intelligence has not established a committee within the specified
timeframe.
Responsible Minister
Ministerial Advisory Group
Portfolio
or Agency
Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group
Health
Hon Casey Costello
Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational,
Police/Customs
Hon Casey Costello
Serious and Organised Crime
Fast-Track Project Advisory Group
RMA Reform
Hon Chris Bishop (MBIE)
Early Childhood Funding Review Ministerial
Education
Hon David Seymour
Advisory Group
Prime Minister's Science, Innovation and
Science, Innovation
Hon Dr Shane Reti
Technology Advisory Council
and Technology
University Strategy Group
Universities
Hon Dr Shane Reti
Science System Advisory Group
Science, Innovation
Hon Dr Shane Reti
and Technology
University Advisory Group
Tertiary Education
Hon Dr Shane Reti
(now Universities)
School Property Ministerial Advisory Group
Education
Hon Erica Stanford
Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group
Education
Hon Erica Stanford
Ministerial Advisory Group to Review the
Education
Hon Erica Stanford
English and Mathematics Curricula for
Primary and Intermediate School Students
Abuse Inquiry Response Ministerial Advisory
Government
Hon Erica Stanford
Group
Response to the Royal
Commission
Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board
Children
Hon Karen Chhour
Family Violence and Sexual Violence
Prevention of Family
Hon Karen Chhour
Ministerial Advisory Group
and Sexual Violence
Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of
Justice
Hon Paul Goldsmith
Retail Crime
Ministerial Advisory Group on the Review of
Justice
Hon Paul Goldsmith
Treaty Principles Provisions
Health Infrastructure Ministerial Advisory
Health
Hon Simeon Brown
Committee
Health Workforce Committee
Health
Hon Simeon Brown
Primary Care Advisory Group
Health
Hon Simeon Brown
Greyhound Racing Ministerial Advisory
Racing
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Committee
DPMC holds copies of some of the Terms of Reference for the Committees outlined above
but, even where this is the case, we believe that information is more closely connected to the
functions of the responsible Minister or agency (listed in the righthand column). Therefore,
under section 14(b)(ii) of the Act, I am transferring this part of your request to each of the
responsible Ministers listed above insofar as it concerns their respective Committee(s). The
exception is the Fast-Track Project Advisory Group; your request for information about which
I am transferring to the Ministry for Business, Immigration and Employment (MBIE).
Part 2
DPMC does not the information sought in this part of your request, which includes
operational and funding details for each Committee. Accordingly, I have decided to partially
transfer Part 2 of your request to each of the responsible Ministers listed above insofar as it
concerns their respective Committee(s). Again, the exception is the Fast-Track Project
Advisory Group; your request for information about which I am transferring to MBIE. These
partial transfers to responsible Ministers and MBIE are made under sections 14(b)(i) of the
Act as the information is not held by DPMC.
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As it is already outside of the ten working day time limit for transferring a request, I have
extended the time-limit available by 10 working days to make this transfer under section
15(A) of the Act. This extension is required because of the consultations needed to make a
decision on your request.
The ministers and MBIE have the usual timeframes under the Act from receipt of these
transfers to make a decision on your request.
You may also be interested in the process for establishing Committees, which you can find
here:
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/guidance/establishing-a-ministerial-advisory-
committee. You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
This response will be published on the DPMC website during our regular publication cycle.
Typically, information is released monthly, or as otherwise determined. Your personal
information including name and contact details will be removed for publication.
Nāku noa, nā
Jenna Hansen
Manager, Accountability and Ministerial Services
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