Written questions

Asked by

Jan Tinetti

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Jo Luxton

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Carmel Sepuloni

Member for Kelston · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Attorney-General take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Rachel Boyack

Member for Nelson · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Jo Luxton

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Jo Luxton

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Jo Luxton

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Jo Luxton

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Priyanca Radhakrishnan

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Priyanca Radhakrishnan

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Priyanca Radhakrishnan

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 19 July 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Priyanca Radhakrishnan

List MP · Labour Party

• What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 19 July 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• What international engagements, if any, were scheduled for the Defence portfolio between 12 August 2026 and the general election at the time the Minister assumed the portfolio, including any trilateral defence ministers' meeting with…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed for August 2026; if so, will it proceed as planned; if it will not, will it be rescheduled or replaced by alternative arrangements…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed for August 2026; if so, will it proceed as planned; if it will not, what assessment, if any, has been made of the effect on New…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• What costs, if any, have been incurred by the Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force, or any other agency in preparing for any trilateral defence ministers' meeting with Australia and Japan proposed or planned for August 2026;…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• What representations or correspondence, if any, have the Minister, his office, or the Ministry of Defence received from Australian or Japanese counterparts concerning any trilateral defence ministers' meeting proposed or planned for August…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed for August 2026; if so, has the status of New Zealand's participation in that meeting changed since 12 August 2026; if it has, when…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• What advice, if any, have the Minister, his predecessor, or their offices received from the Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding any trilateral defence ministers'…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed for August 2026; if so, is it proceeding as planned; if it is not, who made the decision that it would not proceed as planned, and on…

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed for August 2026; if so, is that meeting still scheduled to proceed as originally planned; if it is not, why not?

Asked by

Damien O'Connor

List MP · Labour Party

• Was a trilateral defence ministers' meeting between New Zealand, Australia, and Japan planned or proposed to take place in August 2026, following the inaugural trilateral meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue on 30 May 2026 and the second…

Asked by

Lan Pham

List MP · Green Party

• Did the Government have a response strategy for the H5N1 strain of HPAI (High pathogenicity avian influenza) prior to the 2025 publication of the document titled 'One Health approach for HPAI H5N1'?

Asked by

Teanau Tuiono

List MP · Green Party

• Is the Minister satisfied that obligations in s45(2)(a) of the Defence Act 1990 to have regard to the need to achieve and maintain fair relativity with levels of remuneration received elsewhere been met and if so why and if not why not?

Asked by

Lan Pham

List MP · Green Party

• What was the Government's strategy for responding to the H5N1 strain of HPAI (High pathogenicity avian influenza) prior to the 2025 publication of the document titled 'One Health approach for HPAI H5N1'?

Asked by

Lan Pham

List MP · Green Party

• When did the Government start on preparing a response to the H5N1 strain of HPAI (High pathogenicity avian influenza)?

Asked by

Teanau Tuiono

List MP · Green Party

• How was the 2.2% remuneration adjustment reconciled, if at all, with the requirement to achieve and maintain fair relativity, particularly where civilian remuneration and inflation measures demonstrate materially different movements?

Asked by

Teanau Tuiono

List MP · Green Party

• What advice, reports, assessments, aide-mémoires, briefings, or other documents, if any, has the Minister or any member of their office received since 1 January 2026 regarding whether the 2026 NZDF remuneration package would improve or…

Asked by

Chris Hipkins

Member for Remutaka · Labour Party

• On what dates, if any, did he use Air Force assets to travel in order to attend a National Party event?

Asked by

Chris Hipkins

Member for Remutaka · Labour Party

• On what dates, if any, did he use Air Force assets to travel following attending a National Party event?

Asked by

Teanau Tuiono

List MP · Green Party

• Is the Minister aware that the majority of uniformed and civilian personnel will receive a renumeration adjustment of 2.2% as a part of REM26 that is below inflation, and if so, what actions if any is he taking to address this?

Asked by

Chris Hipkins

Member for Remutaka · Labour Party

• 36974

  Further to his answer to written question 35184 (2026): what were the pickup, drop off locations, and times of each of these pickups and drop offs for all uses of crown cars or crown vehicles by him on 25 September 2025, if any?

• 36975

  Further to his answer to written question 35184 (2026): did any National Party official or ministerial staff member, or National Leader’s office staff member accompany him on his Air Force flights on 25 September 2025, if so, what was…

• 36976

  Further to his answer to written question 35184 (2026): on what date were his Air Force flights on 25 September 2025 booked?

• 36977

  Further to his answer to written question 35184 (2026): did any MP, or Minister accompany him on his Air Force flights on 25 September 2025, if so, who?

Asked by

Chris Hipkins

Member for Remutaka · Labour Party

• Further to his answer to written question 35186 (2026): did any MP, or Minister accompany him on his Air Force flights on 11 April 2025, if so, who?

Asked by

Teanau Tuiono

List MP · Green Party

• What advice, reports, assessments, briefings, aide-mémoires, minutes, or other documents has the Minister or any member of their office received, if any, regarding whether the REM:2026 remuneration package by date and title?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• Does the Minister agree with Building Today that his appointment as Building and Construction Minister "represents yet another heavy responsibility added to an already stacked Beehive line-up."; if so, how will he prioritize the Building…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister does he agree with Business Desk that the Hon Chris Penk "was a good building and construction minister; practically everyone agreed."; if yes, does he intend to meet the same standard?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister does he agree with the Post's reporting that the Hon Chris Penk "was doing strong work in the portfolios he was given, particularly building and construction, where the sector has been extremely…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• Did the Minister receive any written communication, by email, signal messenger, text, or other means, from the Prime Minister or his office on Thursday 13 August; if so, what was the topic?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• What oral advice, if any, did the Minister or their Office receive from the Prime Minister or other Cabinet Ministers on Thursday 13 August?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, does he have any plan to increase female participation in construction trades; if yes, what actions does he intend to take?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• Has he read BDO's 2026 Construction Sector Report; if not, will he undertake to read it?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, would he support an apprenticeship guarantee for young people who want to enter the construction industry but cannot find an employer?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, does he intend to make sure smaller building companies are not disadvantaged over larger building companies in the receipt of Government-funded apprenticeship support; if so, how?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, does he believe plumbing apprenticeships and jobs are given sufficient recognition in New Zealand; if not, what measures does he intend to take to change that, if any?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, is he considering new incentives, if any, to encourage more young people into electrician jobs; if so, what are they?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• As Building and Construction Minister, does he believe that the cost of building and construction is affordable in New Zealand; if not, what areas specifically does he think are unaffordable?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• What, if anything, is his assessment of the current building and construction job market in New Zealand?