Written questions

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

Further to the replies to written questions 37936 (2026) and 37240 (2026), was that assurance given before or after the board commenced its review of procurement practices on 11 May 2026?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

Further to the reply to written question 37888 (2026), who requested the table of procurement provided to his office on 21 August 2026, and for what purpose?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

Question

What role, if any, did the Minister make in the appointment of Jon Johansson as the Ambassador to Sweden?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

Question

Did the Minister recuse himself at any stage of the recruitment and appointment process for the role of Ambassador to Sweden, and if if so, which stages?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

Question

What was the recruitment process for the appointment of the role of Ambassador to Sweden?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

Question

Was a shortlist compiled for the role of Ambassador to Sweden, and if so, was Jon Johansson the top recommended candidate for the position?

Asked by

Chlöe Swarbrick

Member for Auckland Central · Green Party

Question

Further to question 38106, will the New Zealand Government participate in the proposed International Panel on Inequality at the United Nations?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Did New Zealand participate in the consultations convened by the President of the eightieth session of the General Assembly on the zero draft of the resolution on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples' representatives at the…

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

On how many occasions, if any, has New Zealand voted against or abstained on a United Nations General Assembly or Human Rights Council resolution concerning the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and on which resolutions?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Will the Government publish the full text, if any, of New Zealand's explanation of vote delivered following the 31 August 2026 United Nations General Assembly vote on draft resolution A/80/L.107 on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade…

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

What advice, if any, did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the appropriate level of New Zealand's representation at the formal Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting on 2 September 2026?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Does the Government intend to respond to the outstanding request by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for a follow-up visit to New Zealand, and if so, by what date?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Will the text of any statement or intervention delivered on New Zealand's behalf at the formal Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting on 2 September 2026 be published, and if not, why not?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Does he consider the standard it applied to Kiribati's level of representation at the 2026 Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting to apply equally to New Zealand's own level of representation at the formal leaders' meeting on 2 September…

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

Does the Government accept that New Zealand's absence from the formal Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting on 2 September 2026 was, as reported, regarded by forum participants as disrespectful to the forum?

Asked by

Vanushi Walters

List MP · Labour Party

Question

What communications plan or media strategy, if any, was prepared in relation to the timing of the ministers' arrival at the 2026 Pacific Islands Forum, and was it approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What amount, if any, has been spent on iReX-related wind-down activity since the settlement with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard was concluded in August 2025, and what did that expenditure relate to?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the total cost to the Crown of the cancellation and wind-down of Project iReX as at 30 June 2026, and does this figure differ from the $671 million reported by KiwiRail in August 2025; if so, why?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What was the total book value of materials, plant and equipment procured for Project iReX that were subsequently sold, scrapped or written off, and what amount, if any, was recovered through their sale?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What land, property, consents or design work, if any, was acquired or commissioned for Project iReX that is not being used in the current Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme, and what was the cost of each?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the Interislander's total fleet maintenance expenditure in each of the 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What amount, if any, of expenditure on Project iReX has been capitalised into the current ferry replacement programme rather than written off, and what does that expenditure consist of?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the forecast Interislander fleet maintenance expenditure for each of the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 financial years?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What was the total cost of the fleet life-extension programme recommended following the DNV assessment of the Interislander fleet, and how much of that has been spent to date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What amount, if any, of Interislander maintenance expenditure since December 2023 would not have been required had the vessels ordered under Project iReX been delivered in 2025 and 2026 as originally scheduled?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What advice, if any, has the Minister received on the expected maintenance cost of the Interislander fleet in the event that the delivery of Kupe and Cook is delayed beyond 2029?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the total cost of drydock and layby maintenance undertaken overseas for Interislander vessels since 1 January 2024, broken down by vessel and by location?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the annual cost of road-bridging rail freight across Cook Strait following the retirement of the Aratere, and how does this compare with the cost of carrying the same freight on a rail-enabled vessel?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What volume of rail freight, measured in net tonne kilometres or wagon equivalents, has been road-bridged across Cook Strait in each quarter since the Aratere was retired in August 2025?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What estimate, if any, has been made of the volume of freight that has permanently transferred from rail to road as a result of the loss of a rail-enabled Cook Strait vessel, and what is the estimated annual revenue impact on KiwiRail?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the additional heavy vehicle movements on State Highway 1 attributable to road-bridging of Cook Strait rail freight, and what is the estimated additional road maintenance cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What was the total cost of demolishing the Aratere's wharf in Picton, and what proceeds, if any, were received from the disposal of the Aratere itself?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many days has the Interislander operated a one-ship schedule in each calendar year since 2024, and how many days is it forecast to operate a one-ship schedule in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What modelling, if any, has KiwiRail or Ferry Holdings undertaken on the volume of freight expected to move off Cook Strait during planned one-ship maintenance periods between 2026 and 2028, and what were the results?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What estimate, if any, has been made of the economic cost of reduced Cook Strait ferry capacity during planned maintenance periods between 2026 and 2028, including any estimate of lost productivity or supply chain cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many sailings were cancelled across the Interislander fleet in each of the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, and what was the estimated revenue impact of those cancellations?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the cost to KiwiRail of relaunching the NZ Connect coastal shipping service, and what freight volumes is it forecast to carry during the 2026 and 2027 maintenance periods?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What advice, if any, has the Minister received on the cost of leasing an additional vessel to operate on Cook Strait prior to 2029, and what was the estimated cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the current total forecast cost of the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme, broken down by vessel construction, Wellington port infrastructure, Picton port infrastructure, programme management and contingency?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How much of the $1.9 billion total programme cost for the ferry replacement programme is not counted within the $1.704 billion taxpayer contribution, and who bears each component of that difference?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What proportion, if any, of the $100 million contributed by CentrePort and the $110 million contributed by Port Marlborough is expected to be recovered through port fees paid by KiwiRail, and over what period?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the effect of port fees payable under the new arrangements on freight rates across Cook Strait, compared with fees payable under the current arrangements?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

On what basis is the claimed saving of approximately $2.3 billion against Project iReX calculated, including the assumed iReX total cost, the price basis or reference year used, and whether the figure is expressed in nominal or real terms?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What contingency is held within the $1.704 billion taxpayer contribution to the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme, and how much of that contingency, if any, has been drawn down to date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

Which components of the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme cost are based on long-range estimates rather than fixed or target outturn prices, and what is the combined value of those components?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the total operating cost of Ferry Holdings Limited since its establishment in March 2025, broken down by financial year?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the total expenditure on external consultants and advisors relating to Cook Strait ferry procurement since December 2023, across KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, the Ministry of Transport and the Treasury?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many Interislander staff positions, if any, were disestablished as a result of the transition from a three-ship to a two-ship fleet, and what was the total cost of redundancies paid?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the difference in freight and passenger capacity between the vessels ordered under Project iReX and the vessels Kupe and Cook, and what is the estimated effect on Cook Strait capacity over the…

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What reports or advice, if any, does the Minister hold on the total economic cost to New Zealand of reduced Cook Strait ferry capacity between 2024 and 2029, and what estimate for the total sum did that contain?