What legal proceedings, if any, are currently being defended by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible where the total claimed or estimated liability exceeds $1 million, listed by department or entity, the nature of the proceedings, the approximate value of the claim, and the current status?

Answer

I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) that there is one set of current legal proceedings against the Ministry where the total estimated potential liability for the proceeding exceeds $1 million. This is an estimated potential liability of approximately $1 million in a claim from former Gloriavale residents against various government agencies, including the Ministry, alleging officials negligently failed to intervene to protect the residents from harm that is currently being considered by the High Court. I am further advised that there is one other set of current legal proceedings where the total explicitly sought exceeds $1 million. This concerns a remedy hearing referred to the Employment Court by the Supreme Court for lost wages and holiday pay for one of the appellants in the recent paid family carers litigation. The amount claimed has not been included for privacy reasons.