What involvement, if any, did the Minister have with the 2025 appointment process of the Ministerial Arms Advisory Group (MAAG)?

Answer

On 16 July 2025 I decided to reappoint Mr Shane Walker and Ms Deborah Lamb and decided not to reappoint Ms Philippa Yasbek and Ms Helene Leaf. Furthermore, on 27 July 2025 I agreed to send letters of appreciation to retiring members of the Minister's Arms Advisory Group and to send letters to my colleagues inviting nominations. In response to my communication seeking nominations, my office then sent the received nominations to Ministry Officials. At this point, I removed myself from making any further decisions on the appointment process.