Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand
09/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2025 16:08
Ministers' Interests January 2025 - June 2025
Proactive release of information about management of ministerial conflicts of interest#
1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025#
Management of ministerial conflicts of interest, 1 January 2025 - 30 June 2025
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1The table below is a summary of certain actions taken by Ministers to manage actual or potential conflicts of interest during the period 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025. It includes transfers of responsibility to other Ministers and standing arrangements not to receive Cabinet papers. Other steps for managing conflicts of interest set out at paragraph 2.76 of the Cabinet Manual (such as declarations of interest, and ad hoc or short-term arrangements not to receive papers) are not included.
2The Office of the Ombudsman has reviewed this summary and confirmed that it is consistent with the more detailed record held by the Cabinet Office.
3The actions listed in the table are standing arrangements and may cover multiple instances when responsibility was exercised by another Minister or papers were not received. It is also possible that there have been no such instances because the particular issue has not arisen in practice.
4The nature of each actual or potential conflict of interest is usually described using the following categories:
- Pecuniary: relating to a Minister's personal financial interests such as assets, debts and gifts;
- Personal: relating to a Minister's non-financial personal interests, such as family, whānau or close associates, former employment and business activities, and (in certain limited circumstances) current and past involvement with specific organisations;
- Portfolio: relating to different aspects of a Minister's official responsibilities;
- Constituency: relating to a Minister's role as a Member of Parliament.
5The following actions commonly occur as a consequence of a transfer:
(1)officials report directly to the transferee in relation to the specified matter(s);
(2)any information relating to the specified matter(s) received by the transferor's office is referred to the transferee;
(3)the transferor does not receive Cabinet papers or other official papers or reports on the specified matter(s); and
(4)if the specified matter(s) is/are discussed at Cabinet (or other relevant meetings), the transferor will declare his/her interest and withdraw from the meeting (or seek the agreement of colleagues to continue to take part).
6These actions are referred to below as "action (1)", "action (2)" etc.
7A proactive release of information about the management of ministerial conflicts of interest (covering transfers of responsibility and arrangements not to receive papers) was agreed by the then Prime Minister and the former Chief Ombudsman in 2012. The release is intended to provide public assurance that systems are in place to manage conflicts of interest effectively, while protecting the privacy of individuals, the confidentiality of Cabinet discussions, and the confidentiality of correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister and other Ministers about actual or potential conflicts of interest.
8Further information on the management of ministerial conflicts of interest is set out at paragraphs 2.59-2.83 of the Cabinet Manual 2023, available at Cabinet Manual and at Ministers' interests management.
| Minister | Matter at issue | Nature of conflict | Action taken |
| Hon Collins | Potential conflict between ministerial responsibilities as Minister for the Public Service for decisions to grant exceptions to the Cabinet Fees Framework for panel conveners, panel members and chairs appointed under the Fast-track Approvals Act and a personal interest. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister for the Public Service for decisions to grant exceptions to the Cabinet Fees Framework for panel conveners, panel members and chairs appointed under the Fast-track Approvals Act transferred to Hon Goldsmith on 30 January 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Grigg | Potential conflict between responsibilities as Associate Minister for ACC, and as the MP for the Selwyn electorate. | Constituency | Responsibilities as Associate Minister for ACC for decisions relating to Selwyn electorate constituents transferred to Hon Bayly on 12 February 2025 and then to Hon Simpson on 11 March 2025. Actions (1) and (2) put in place. |
| Hon Bishop | Potential conflict as Minister of Transport between Ministerial decisions regarding Wellington International Airport Ltd and a personal interest. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister of Transport for matters relating to aviation transferred to Hon Meager on 12 February 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Willis | Potential conflict between responsibilities as Minister of Finance for matters relating to financial support for the oil and gas sector and a personal interest. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister of Finance for matters relating to financial support for the oil and gas sector transferred to Hon Bishop on 14 February 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. Action (3) applied only where the paper related solely to this matter. Any general paper would note Hon Willis' interest. |
| Hon Goldsmith | Potential perceived conflict between Ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and a personal interest. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage for matters relating to the appointment of the Chair of the Te Papa Board transferred to Hon Bishop on 24 February 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Potaka | Potential perceived conflict between responsibilities as Associate Minister of Housing and his former roles (in relation to Karioi Nui Trust and as Chief Executive of Ngai Tai ki Tamaki). | Personal | Responsibilities as Associate Minister of Housing for housing matters relating to Karioi Nui Trust or Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki transferred to Hon Bishop on 4 March 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Simpson | Potential conflict between Ministerial responsibilities as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and a personal interest (close family members own a supermarket). | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for matters relating to the grocery sector, including all grocery sector regulation under the Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023, the Fair Trading Act 1986, the Commerce Act 1986 and any other relevant legislation transferred to Hon Willis on 7 March 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Jones | Potential conflict between Ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Regional Development and a personal interest (iwi and family connections to Te Aupōuri and Ngāi Takoto). | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister for Regional Development for any matters relating to applications by Te Aupōuri or Ngāi Takoto to the Regional Infrastructure Fund and any arrangements entered into as a result of those applications transferred to Hon Potaka on 25 March 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Jones | Potential perceived conflict between Ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Regional Development and a personal interest (iwi and family connections to Te Aupōuri and Ngāi Takoto). | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister for Oceans and Fisheries for any matters relating to aquaculture settlements for the Northland region, including gazetting Aquaculture Settlement Areas or making aquaculture settlement offers from the Crown transferred to Hon Potaka on 25 March 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Potaka | Potential conflict between responsibilities as Minister for Māori Development in relation to Treaty settlements, and former role as negotiator for the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister of Māori Development relating to Treaty settlement matters relating to the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust transferred to Hon Penk on 22 April 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Penk | Potential conflict between responsibilities as Minister for Land Information and role as MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi Electorate. | Constituency |
Responsibilities as Minister for Land Information:
transferred to Hon Simmonds on 16 May 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place. |
| Hon Potaka | Potential conflict between Ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Māori Development and a personal interest. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister for Māori Development for matters relating to the appointment of a chair of the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board transferred to Hon Dr Reti on 9 June 2025. Actions (1), (2), (3) and (4) put in place (actions (3) and (4) apply to the extent the conflict remains). |
| Hon Willis | Potential conflict between responsibilities as Minister of Finance in respect of Genesis Energy Limited and a personal interest. That personal interest had ended by 27 June 2025. | Personal | Responsibilities as Minister of Finance in respect of decisions specific to Genesis Energy Limited, which had been transferred to Hon Seymour on 29 April 2024, were resumed by Hon Willis effective 27 June 2025. |
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Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand published this content on September 18, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 17, 2025 at 22:08 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]