Marcus
[FYI request #34154 email]
Dear Marcus
Official Information Act Request
I refer to your official information request received on 19 March 2026 for:
I saw that there was a Digitising Government conference held in Wel ington on March
18th, 2026 where Judith Collins, in her capacity as Minister for Digitising
Government, gave a Ministerial Address titled "The Digital Government Vision 2026:
Trust, transparency and tangible outcomes".
I was interested in getting a copy of the slide deck if there was one used for this
address as well as any assistive notes used for the address.
There is one document in scope of your request. I am releasing this document in full,
attached as
Appendix A.
I did not use a slide deck, or any assistive notes for this address. Therefore, I am refusing this
part of your request under section 18(e), as this information does not exist.
Accessing the Ombudsman
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my decision by the Office of the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Hon Judith Collins KC
Minister for Digitising Government
Appendix A: Document in scope of your OIA response
Digitising Government NZ Summit
Ministerial Address
The Digital Government Vision 2026: Trust, transparency and tangible outcomes
Opening remarks
• Good morning, it is my pleasure to open the Digitising Government New Zealand
Summit.
• Over my time as Minister for Digitising Government, there has been a significant shift
in how we operate.
• We’ve made changes to strengthen public trust, improve the transparency of our
system and deliver outcomes that will benefit New Zealanders.
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• Our target is a citizen-focused, digital-first public sector, that offers better, faster, and
safer digital services for Kiwis.
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• The way the public service has been operating was unnecessarily complex and
costly.
• Digital investment across the system has been uneven and too often disconnected
from shared outcomes.
• The expansion of our digital footprint and lack of a unified all-of-government direction
has led to services that are hard to find, use, and maintain, and a digital landscape
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that is unaffordable and unsustainable.
• This has resulted in a digital investment pipeline of $13 bil ion over five years, with
significant duplication and unfunded projects.
• At the same time, the digital landscape has changed rapidly and we now have
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modern cloud and AI technologies that allow faster, cheaper and modular digital
delivery.
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• It is clear that the system has not been delivering the value that government and
taxpayers should rightly expect.
• That’s why the Government is moving to a more centralised, coordinated system for
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digital investment that wil reduce cost and improve digital services to New
Zealanders.
• We wil no longer have a fragmented, agency‑by‑agency approach to investment and
procurement. Instead, agencies wil be grouped into efficient digital clusters that
share common IT platforms.
• This more centralised model wil remove duplication between agencies, reduce
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complexity, and ensure that every dollar spent delivers clear value for money.
• The opportunity here is significant. By avoiding unnecessary spend and leveraging
economies of scale, we believe the system can save bil ions.
• That’s money that can instead be spent on delivering better public services for the
benefit of all New Zealanders.
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• Importantly, these benefits are enduring. By permanently reducing the size of
government’s digital footprint, we create a simpler, more sustainable system that wil
continue to deliver value well into the future.
• To drive this, the Government Chief Digital Of icer (or GCDO) wil now centrally lead
government digital investment and procurement decisions.
• This includes developing a multi‑year work programme that gives agencies a clear
and stable whole-of-government plan.
• To signal how seriously we are taking this work, the functions of the GCDO will be
shifting to the Public Service Commission on 1 April, creating the new Government
Digital Delivery Agency (GDDA).
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• The private sector wil continue to be an essential partner in this shift.
• With a clearer and more consistent direction of travel, they can better deliver
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solutions that are scalable, cost‑effective, and that contribute to a connected digital
system across government.
• This is not a new approach.
• Leading digital nations like Singapore, Estonia, Australia and Denmark use strong,
centralised digital leadership—achieving major savings and better citizen services.
• We have a chance to climb up the ranking internationally and join our high-performing
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partners.
• Digital services are now a big part of how New Zealanders engage with government.
• In fact, the Public Service Commission reported that people who used exclusively
digital channels for their most recent service had higher levels of satisfaction than
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those who used non-digital services.
• Internationally, I have seen the digital offerings of other countries and the impact this
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has had on enabling better engagement with citizens.
• We see in banking and power providers the impact that apps have, with customers no
longer being constrained by physical sites or opening hours. Access to services via
an app on your phone incr
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• That is why last year we launched the New Zealand Government App to make it
easier and safer for people to access government services.
• Over the coming months additional features wil be added, including secure
messaging and notifications, and a digital wallet to hold identity credentials like
licences and qualifications.
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• It will include AI-enabled interfaces to ensure people and businesses can access
important government services and information, anytime and anywhere.
• The Government App wil provide usability, security and privacy for all users but it will
always be optional to use.
• Artificial intelligence is also playing a growing role in the delivery of public services in
New Zealand and has the potential to transform how we do things.
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• Almost every public service agency is using AI in some form, and this is rapidly
increasing.
• A recent survey identified 272 use cases across 70 agencies, ranging from pilots to
fully implemented use cases that are already improving productivity, efficiency, and
service delivery for New Zealanders.
• For example, a new AI scribe tool in emergency departments is helping clinicians
spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork, and ACC and IRD staff
are using AI to speed up Contact Centre call transcriptions. There’s even more to
come, with some agencies starting to look at more advanced applications.
• To support the accelerated uptake of AI, we have designed guardrails such as the
Public Service AI Framework, and AI Guidance, but also stepped-up initiatives to
accelerate AI uses cases, build capabilities, and work closer with the private sector.
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• I expect that as agencies and the public become more familiar and confident with AI,
these exciting use cases wil continue to increase.
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• As we progress through this digital transformation, I encourage everyone to engage
with the process and hold us and your colleagues to account.
• The direction is clear, now it’s time to deliver.
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Document Outline
