What assessment, if any, has the Government undertaken of the risk that political donations linked to fast‑track applicants or associated individuals or entities could undermine public confidence in the integrity or independence of fast‑track decision‑making? and 1 other question

Answer

There is a well-established process for managing Ministerial conflicts of interest, including in the fast-track approvals context. The Audit Office completed an inquiry on this topic in June 2025, here: https://ao.parliament.nz/2025/fast-track-conflicts/summary.htm. As stated in that report, one of the considerations for Ministers in relation to decisions about fast-track applications is whether they had received a donation to their election campaign from the entities or people involved with a project. Generally, donations to an individual Minister’s election campaign are considered and managed in accordance with the Cabinet Manual guidance on pecuniary interests. Donations to political parties are not generally treated as resulting in a pecuniary conflict of interest for individual Ministers belonging to the party. The Cabinet Manual provides clear guidance that Ministers should take care to avoid creating a perception that representatives or lobbyists from any one organisation or group enjoy an unfair advantage with the government. The Cabinet Office proactively releases some details of conflicts of interest, where the management action has resulted in a transfer of responsibility or a standing arrangement not to receive papers (including in the context of Fast-track Approvals Act). This is available at: https://www.dpmc.govt.nz. Further detail on the fast-track approvals process itself can be found at: https://environment.govt.nz/acts-and-regulations/acts/fast-track-approvals/fast-track-approvals-process/