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The New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of the New Zealand government's executive branch. Its membership consists of the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown.

In theory, the Governor-General governs the country with the advice of the Executive Council. All Cabinet ministers become members of the Executive Council.

Legislative basis

No legislative act established the Cabinet. Rather, it exists purely by convention. This convention carries sufficient weight for many official declarations and regulations to refer to the Cabinet, and a government department exists with responsibility for supporting it (the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). Although Cabinet lacks any direct legislative framework for its existence, the Cabinet Manual has become the official document which governs its functions, and on which its convention rests.

The structure of Cabinet has as its basis the formal institution known as the Executive Council. Most Ministers hold membership of both bodies, but some Executive Councillors — known as "ministers outside Cabinet" — do not have Cabinet positions.

Powers

The lack of formal legislation establishing Cabinet leaves its powers loosely defined. However, convention regarding Cabinet authority has considerable force, and generally proves strong enough to bind its participants. Theoretically, each minister operates independently, having received a ministerial warrant over a certain field from the Crown (represented by the Governor General). However, because the Governor-General can withdraw warrants on the Prime Minister's recommendation, the system can compel ministers to act within certain framework.

Cabinet itself acts as the accepted forum for establishing this framework. Ministers will jointly discuss the policy which the government as a whole will pursue, and any minister who does not exercise their respective powers in a manner compatible with Cabinet's decision risks losing those powers. This has become known as the doctrine of collective responsibility. (Problems can arise when the Prime Minister breaches collective responsibility, as occurred in 1988 when David Lange spoke out against a Cabinet decision in favour of Roger Douglas's radical economic reforms. The Cabinet cannot have the Prime Minister removed in the way that it can dismiss ordinary ministers, and Prime-Ministerial power remains secure unless the governing party or coalition itself decides to act.)

Significant ministers include:

• the Prime Minister
• the Deputy Prime Minister
• the Minister of Finance
• the Minister of Foreign Affairs (usually a member of Cabinet)
• the Attorney-General

Cabinet Committees

A Cabinet Committee comprises a subset of the larger Cabinet, consisting of a number of ministers who have responsibility in related areas of policy. Cabinet Committees go into considerably more detail than can be achieved at regular Cabinet meetings, discussing issues which do not need the input of ministers holding unrelated portfolios.

Cabinet Committees will often discuss matters referred to them by Cabinet itself, and then report back the results of their deliberation. This can sometimes become a powerful tool for advancing certain policies, as was demonstrated in the Lange government. Roger Douglas, Minister of Finance, and his allies succeeded in dominating the finance committee, enabling them to determine what it recommended to Cabinet. The official recommendation of the finance committee was much harder for his opponents to fight than his individual claims in Cabinet would be. Douglas was able to pass measures that, had Cabinet deliberated on them itself rather than pass them to Committee, would have been defeated.

Currently eight standing Cabinet Committees exist, of varying importance:

• Policy Committee
• Economic Development Committee
• Social Development Committee
• Legislation Committee
• Government Expenditure and Administration Committee
• Appointments and Honours Committee
• External Relations and Defence Committee
• Domestic and External Security Coordination Committee

Other Cabinet Committees may emerge on a temporary basis, with the purpose of investigating an issue of relevance at the time.

Current members of Cabinet

The table below lists the twenty-one current members of Cabinet as announced on 19 October 2005. Ministers appear in their official order of seniority along with the portfolios and responsibilities they hold .

* - These portfolios are currently unassigned following the resignation of David Parker on 20 March 2006.

Significant appointments outside Cabinet include:

• Politics of New Zealand
• Constitution of New Zealand
• National cabinets