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The New Zealand Cabinet is the policy and decision-making body of the New Zealand government's executive branch. It is made up of the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown.
In theory, the Governor-General governs the country with the advice of the Executive Council, of which all Cabinet ministers are members.
Legislative basis
Cabinet is not established by any legislative act. Rather, it exists purely by convention. This convention is strong enough for Cabinet to be referenced by many official declarations and regulations, and there is a government department with responsibility for supporting it (the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). Although there is no direct legislative framework for its existence, the Cabinet Manual has become the official document which governs its function, and on which its convention rests. The structure of Cabinet based upon a formal institution known as the Executive Council. Most Ministers are members of both, but some are Executive Councillors without being Cabinet ministers. These are known as "ministers outside Cabinet".
Powers
The lack of formal legislation establishing Cabinet means that its powers are loosely defined. However, convention regarding its authority is quite powerful, and generally proves strong enough to bind its participants. Theoretically, each minister is independent, having been granted a ministerial warrant over a certain field by the Crown (represented by the Governor General). However, because warrants can be withdrawn on the Prime Minister's recommendation, ministers can be compelled to act within a certain framework.
The accepted forum for establishing this framework is Cabinet. Ministers will jointly discuss the policy to be pursued by the government as a whole, and any minister who does not exercise their respective powers in a manner compatible with Cabinet's decision risks losing those powers. This is known as the doctrine of collective responsibility. (Problems can arise when it is the Prime Minister who is in breach of collective responsibility, as was the case when David Lange spoke out against a Cabinet decision in favour of Roger Douglas's radical economic reforms. The Prime Minister cannot be removed in the way that ordinary ministers can, and their power is secure unless the party itself decides to act.)
Significant ministers include the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs(usually), and the Attorney-General.
Cabinet Committees
A Cabinet Committee is 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.
Often, Cabinet Committees will discuss matters referred to them by Cabinet itself, and then report back the results of their deliberation. This can sometimes be a powerful tool for advancing certain policies, as was demonstrated in the Lange government. Roger Douglas, Minister of Finance, and his allies were able to gain dominance of the finance committee, enabling them to determine what its recommendation to Cabinet would be. 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.
There are currently eight standing Cabinet Committees, 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 be created on a temporary basis, with the purpose of investigating an issue of relevance at the time.
Current members of Cabinet
Below is a list of the twenty-one current members of Cabinet as announced on 19 October 2005. Ministers are listed in their official order of seniority along with the portfolios and responsibilities they hold .
- Helen Clark
- Prime Minister
- Arts, Culture, and Heritage
- Ministerial Services
- Security Intelligence Service
- Government Communications Security Bureau
- Michael Cullen
- Deputy Prime Minister
- Finance
- Tertiary Education
- Leader of the House
- Jim Anderton
- Agriculture
- Biosecurity
- Fisheries
- Forestry
- Public Trust
- Health (Associate)
- Tertiary Education (Associate)
- Steve Maharey
- Education
- Broadcasting
- Research, Science, and Technology
- Crown Research Institutes
- Education Review Office
- Phil Goff
- Defence
- Trade
- Pacific Island Affairs
- Disarmamant and Arms Control
- Finance (Associate)
- Trade Negotiations (Associate)
- Annette King
- State Services
- Police
- Food Safety
- Defence (Associate)
- Trade (Associate)
- Race Relations
- Trevor Mallard
- Economic Development
- Industry and Regional Development
- State Owned Enterprises
- Sport and Recreation
- Finance (Associate)
- Pete Hodgson
- Health
- Land Information
- Parekura Horomia
- Maori Affairs
- Social Development and Employment (Associate)
- Education (Associate)
- State Services (Associate)
- Fisheries (Associate)
- Mark Burton
- Justice
- Local Government
- Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
- Leader of the House (Deputy)
- Law Commission
- Ruth Dyson
- Labour
- Accident Compensation Corporation
- Senior Citizens
- Disability Issues
- Social Development and Employment (Associate, with responsibility for child welfare)
- Chris Carter
- Conservation
- Housing
- Ethnic Affairs
- Rick Barker
- Internal Affairs
- Civil Defence
- Courts
- Veterans' Affairs
- David Benson-Pope
- Social Development and Employment
- Environment
- Lianne Dalziel
- Commerce
- Women's Affairs
- Small Business
- Damien O'Connor
- Corrections
- Tourism
- Rural Affairs
- Health (Associate)
- David Cunliffe
- Immigration
- Communications
- Information Technology
- Economic Development (Associate)
- David Parker
- Energy
- Transport
- Attorney-General
- Climate Change
- Nanaia Mahuta
- Customs
- Youth Affairs
- Environment (Associate)
- Local Government (Associate)
- Clayton Cosgrove
- Building Issues
- Statistics
- Finance (Associate)
- Immigration (Associate)
- Justice (Associate)
- Jim Sutton
- Trade Negotiations (until end of year — portfolio will then pass to Phil Goff)
Significant appointments outside Cabinet:
- Winston Peters
- Foreign Affairs
- Racing
- Senior Citizens (Associate)
- Peter Dunne
- Revenue
- Health (Associate)