Further to Reply 38003, why is the existence of a conflict of interest considered a disclosure of information that is "inherently confidential and not generally disclosed", when the existence of Ministerial conflicts of interest are published every 6 months?

Answer

The six-monthly proactive releases of information about the management of ministerial conflicts of interest are not full records of Ministers’ declared interests. The proactive releases cover conflicts of interest that are managed by a transfer of responsibility and/or standing arrangements not to receive papers. Other interests disclosed by Ministers to the Cabinet Office are not included in that proactive release. This is explained in each release, available here - https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/ministers-and-their-portfolios/ministers-interests. The releases are 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. This has been the approach of successive administrations, and I do not intend to depart from it.