Chief Executive’s Report

I am pleased to provide the 30th review of the business and activities of the Trust to the year ending 31 December 2021.

OVERVIEW

The COVID-19 Alert system and a series of lockdowns during the year had a significant impact on our ability to deliver a full programme of parliamentary seminars, the business attachment programme for Members of Parliament and members’ events. We managed to deliver two of the four planned Parliamentary seminars, which enabled 71 attendees from 27 corporate members to engage with us and to hear from parliamentarians and parliamentary officials about the operations of Parliament and the Executive. Initially we had hoped to only postpone the seminars and went through a multiple process of re-setting dates.

When it became clear that venue, hospitality and travel restrictions would not allow us to host the seminars face to face in-house, consideration was given to moving the Machinery of Government Seminar to a virtual platform, but we did not have enough people wishing to connect in this way to justify the seminar proceeding.

The planned Auckland network event was postponed twice before a decision was taken to move it to 2022. Likewise, a planned President’s Dinner could not be held. Following a change of alert levels in December and at short notice, a small stakeholder’s event marking our thirtieth anniversary was held in the Speaker’s Lounge.

The Trust’s 30th anniversary is an important milestone and while previous milestones at 10, 20 and 25 years were celebrated with special events, given the uncertainties around COVID, a decision was taken to mark the anniversary through our established programme of events from December 2021 to December 2022. A special commemorative edition of NZBPT News will be published in 2022.

TRUST MEMBERSHIP

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS

The Trust’s corporate membership opened with 70 members at 1 January and closed with 67 members as of 31 December 2021. The Trust gained four new members but lost five members, one as a result of the company being sold and one as a result of the closure of the New Zealand office.

The four new Corporate Members are:

ASB Bank Contact Energy Ltd Silvereye Communications WSP Limited

The resignations of Villa Maria Estate Ltd (sold on 30 September 2021 to Indevin New Zealand), Beef & Lamb, Kaipara Ltd, Microsoft Corporation and Sanofi New Zealand Ltd (closing their New Zealand office) all took effect from 31 December 2021.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Simeon Brown MP was made an Associate Member following the successful completion of a Business Attachment programme with Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd.

Angela Roberts MP, Ricardo Menéndez March MP Trustee Council member and Darryl Stevens

Jamie Gray, Airways Corporation, Catherine Soper Genesis Energy and newly elected Trustee Council member with Tim van de Molen MP, Board member

2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Trust’s 29th Annual General Meeting was held at Parliament on 1 June 2021. Working within the ‘new normal’ our corporate members and associate members were given the choice of attending either in person or via Zoom.

The Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, presided as President of the Trust and Peter Griffiths chaired the meeting.

The meeting ratified changes to the corporate membership of the Trustee Council and Board as outlined in the Chairman’s message and adopted the Annual Report in addition to an update on COVID-19 impact on Trust operations.

Nancy McConnell, (Strategic Advisor with Hawkins Ltd and part of Downer Group NZ), and Deputy Board Chair was re-elected for a further term of three years. Joanne Mahon, Chief Communications & Brand Officer for the Southern Cross Group was elected to the Trustee Council replacing John Dakin who was standing down at the conclusion of his term. Catherine Soper, GM Government and Regulatory Affairs at Genesis Energy Ltd was appointed an additional member on the Trustee Council.

PROGRAMMES

BUSINESS ATTACHMENT PROGRAMMES

3 Members of Parliament undertook and completed their Business Attachment programmes.

Louisa Wall MP Coco Cola Europartners Ltd and Guardians of NZ Superannuation Barbara Kuriger MP Todd Energy Simon Watts MP WSP Ltd

Three other Members of Parliament had Attachments confirmed but were prevented by COVID restrictions from undertaking these. We acknowledge and warmly thank the above companies for agreeing to host Members of Parliament.

PARLIAMENTARY SEMINARS

Seminars were held in March and May as planned. The two Seminars planned for September and November were unable to proceed.

SAMPLE OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM ATTENDEES AT THIS YEAR’S PARLIAMENTARY SEMINARS WERE...

SEMINAR 1

“Well run, varied and insightful. The openness and honesty of the speakers was appreciated and helpful”

“Well worth the time, thank you for having us! Day was better than expected!”

“Really appreciative to all who took time out to share with us. Fantastic!”

“Great speakers, terrific insights, and honesty. Appreciated how slick it was too, brilliantly organised”

SEMINAR SPEAKERS

AT SEMINAR 1

The Trust is privileged to be able to call on a wide range of parliamentarians and officials with in - depth knowledge on the workings of Parliament and Government.

Hon Judith Collins MP, Leader of the Opposition

Angie Warren Clark MP talks MMP

Simon O’Connor presents on Select Committees Hon Michael Wood discusses the challenges of being a Minister Hon Grant Robertson, Deputy Prime Minister who spoke on the subject of leadership

SEMINAR SPEAKERS

AT SEMINAR 2

Our Machinery of Government seminar speakers comprise people at the ‘coalface’ and who are there to help Members of Parliament in all facets of their work - legislation, policy, electorate.

Bell, Director of Labour Leader’s office giving an overview of the role of the unit with emphasis on nurturing policy - developing policy Gareth Chaplin Associate Director Central Government. Morrison Low spoke on influencing Policy and the. Role Government Departments play in the development and delivery of Policy

Suzie Jones, Deputy Clerk of the House presenting on how legislation is developed

NETWORKING

COMMENTS AT

SEMINAR 2

“Incredible day and really informative”

“I found this thoroughly fascinating and interesting day and have a much deeper understanding of the machinery of Government as a result”

“This seminar was recommended to me by my colleagues as being excellent and I’m very pleased I took their advice and attended today”

EDUCATION

PRIZES IN POLITICS

All four Universities awarded prizes in 2021.

The University of Auckland selected Sophia Li as the 2021 recipient. Sophia’s Master of Public Policy dissertation was entitled ‘Why Asian New Zealanders vote less and how to improve their participation’. This dissertation is the first that attempts to draw on large sample national survey data to present and analyse Asian New Zealanders’ electoral participation.

Our partnership with the University of Canterbury continues with the University naming Terewai (Teri) Irwin as the 2021 Master of Policy and Governance [MPAG] recipient.

The University of Otago selected Matthew O’Connor as the second Prize recipient. Matthew completed his BA in Politics and Geography in 2020 before enrolling in a Master of Politics.

Daniel Mason of Waikato University, enrolled in the Master of Social Sciences in Public Policy, was awarded the Trust’s 2021 Prize.

Pheobe Slee, University of Waikato inaugural prize winner participating at the seminar lunch in March

TRAVEL FUND ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOL VISITS TO PARLIAMENT

School Visits to Parliament were once again significantly affected with changing Alert levels with all School visits to Parliament being cancelled from August through to December inclusive.

It was a somewhat complicated situation as schools either deferred their visits, in some cases several times, before having to cancel them. Other schools elected to undertake visits to Wellington but without financial assistance from the Trust.

Of those schools that did proceed, a small number undertook visits to the grounds of Parliament to meet with their local Members of Parliament and to do a limited programme of instruction supported by the Secretariat. In the latter part of term 4, two schools undertook a virtual parliament education programme with the Parliamentary Services Education Team which enabled them to uplift their grants.

The Trust has four funding rounds per year and while 61 schools had grants approved, only 23 schools managed to undertake visits to Parliament. In Q3 the Trust received an unprecedented number of funding applications totalling 31 schools and is the highest for any quarter since the inception of the scheme in 2016. However, only 6 schools were able to undertake their planned visits due to parliamentary visits being suspended.

Grants that had been paid out were required to be refunded to the Trust in accordance with our standard policy and a special COVID policy that was first applied in 2020 was implemented for a second year.

The Q4 funding round saw grants in principle approved for 14 schools but not paid out unless the visit was proceeding to avoid the refunding process. Only 2 schools were able to undertake restricted visits to Parliament grounds.

A full list of those schools receiving grants from the Trust are listed at Appendix 4.

OUR FLAGSHIP EVENT

Seminar in the Banquet Hall

TRUSTEE BOARD MEMBERSHIP

In late December, the Trust received with regret, the resignation of long-term Board member Gretta Stephens.

SECRETARIAT

TRUST DEED

The Board agreed to a review of the Trust Deed and engaged Russell McVeagh to undertake the review in partnership with the Secretariat. It is planned to have a revised Trust Deed ratified at the Annual Meeting in 2022.

COMMS INTERN

Oliver (Oli) Malthus a graduate of Massey University’s Bachelor of Communication degree course, joined the Secretariat in May as our third COMMS Intern. Tassie Wong, Events Assistant and a casual employee with the Trust since 2016, elected to retire at the end of 2021. Tassie’s work was acknowledged by the Board Chair at the Stakeholders Function.

Oliver (Oli) Malthus Tassie Wong, retiring Events Assistant, Vasoula Kappatos Executive Assistant & Programme Coordinator, Darryl Stevens, Chief Executive

THANK YOU

First, I wish to acknowledge and thank the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ministers and Members of Parliament who generously undertake speaking engagements informing our corporate members on Parliament and government. Finally, personal thanks to my colleagues Vasoula Kappatos, Tassie Wong and Oli Malthus for their contribution to the work of the Trust during a continuing pandemic crisis and the challenges of the lockdowns and ongoing restrictions.

Second, I acknowledge those Parliamentarians who attend our seminar lunches and network with corporate attendees. The Trust could not achieve its key purpose without your active support.

Third, I record my thanks to the Speaker’s Office, Office of the Clerk, Cabinet Office, Parliamentary Press Gallery, ICON and the Parliamentary Service staff for their assistance and support. The Trust relies heavily on you all to help us achieve our mission. The Secretariat has for second year proved that it is robust and flexible in managing the ‘new normal.’

Darryl M Stevens MNZM Chief Executive

Thank you too to our Corporate Liaison officers, for promoting the parliamentary seminars to your company colleagues and coordinating nomination of staff wishing to attend.