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What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answered Question 9387 (2026)
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Asked by

Camilla Belich

List MP · Labour Party

Question

  • What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answered by

Hon Tama Potaka

Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister for Māori Development

Answer

I refer the Member to the below table for total Legal Fees for each financial year since 2020/21 - 2024/25. I am advised by Te Puni Kōkiri that the information requested by categorisation will require substantial manual collation exercise and divert staff from their core duties. In accordance with Speaker’s Ruling 199/6, I consider that the time, and hence the expense, of answering this question in the timeframe allowed for written parliamentary questions, is not in the public interest.

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