A nonsense issue
Senior Minister Erica Stanford sent official briefings to her personal email account – an action discouraged by Parliament's Cabinet Manual.
Stanford says she forwarded the emails so she could print them at home or at her electorate office, often while being away from Wellington for work.
Her electorate office printer was only connected to the Parliamentary server last month, she said.
Parliament's Cabinet Manual – a rulebook for Government ministers – says 'as far as possible' ministers should not use their personal email accounts or phone numbers for ministerial business.
Forwarding yourself an e-mail so you can print it out at home, is not using a personal account for ministerial business. That would be if you were e-mailing other people about ministerial business – not e-mailing yourself.
The purpose of the rule is to make sure ministerial correspondence is captured by government systems. It is not to make it hard for a Minister to print out a document.
Sometimes people who knew a Minister before they became an MP may e-mail them on their personal e-mail address. If it relates to official business, then best practice would be to cc any reply to your official address so it is captured by the DIA system.
This is much ado about nothing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Swarbrick recieves one of most serious Parliament punishments
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has been 'named' by the Speaker, one of the most serious punishments Parliament can hand out. Swarbrick returned defiantly to Parliament today, refusing to apologise for her comments yesterday suggesting coalition MPs grow a spine and sanction Israel. It was all part of what turned into a tense afternoon at parliament, with the Prime Minister dishing out some tough words about his Israeli counterpart, saying Benjamin Netanyahu has lost the plot. Giles Dexter reports.
Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Netanyahu has 'lost the plot': Luxon
By Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira of RNZ The Prime Minister says the war in Gaza is "utterly appalling" and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost the plot". Christopher Luxon's comments came on a tense day in Parliament, where Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was 'named' for refusing to leave the House following a heated debate on the government's plan to consider recognising Palestinian statehood. Speaking to media, Luxon said Netanyahu had "gone too far". "I think he has lost the plot and I think that what we're seeing overnight - the attack on Gaza City - is utterly, utterly unacceptable" he said. Luxon said Israel had consistently ignored pleas from the international community for humanitarian aid to be delivered "unfettered", and the situation was driving more human catastrophe across Gaza. "We are a small country a long way away, with very limited trade with Israel. We have very little connection with the country, but we have stood up for values, and we keep articulating them very consistently, and what you have seen is Israel not listening to the global community at all. "We have said a forcible displacement of people and an annexation of Gaza would be a breach of international law. We have called these things out consistently time and time again. "You've seen New Zealand join many of our friends and partners around the world to make these statements, and he's just not listening," the prime minister said. The government is considering whether it will join other countries like France, Canada and Australia in recognising Palestinian statehood at a UN Leaders Meeting next month. Luxon said recent attacks could "extinguish a pathway" to a two-state solution. "I'm telling you what my personal view is, as a human being, looking at the situation, that's how I feel about." he said. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has called the war an "unfolding genocide", echoing the comments made by former prime minister Helen Clark, who visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Palestinian territory this week. "She's used the words 'unfolding genocide', and yes, I do agree with that. That's a good description of the situation at the moment." Hipkins said calling it an "unfolding genocide" meant that we were not "appointing ourselves judge and jury" because there was still a case to be heard before the International Court of Justice. "Recognising that there is an unfolding genocide in Gaza is an important part of the world community standing up and saying, we're not going to tolerate it. "We should recognise that there is now a growing acknowledgement around the world that there is an unfolding genocide in Gaza, and I think we should call that for what it is, and the world community needs to react to that to prevent it from happening," Hipkins said.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
Watch: Erica Stanford and Judith Collins on secondary school teacher strike
Education Minister Erica Stanford and Minister for Public Service Judith Collins are speaking to media after secondary school teachers revealed today they will go on strike next Wednesday . The strike follows what teachers say is an unsatisfactory pay offer from the government. The government has offered a 1 percent pay rise in collective agreement negotiations . The Post Primary Teachers' Association said it was the lowest increase in a generation and comes as teachers face big changes to education. - more to come Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
