Hello from the Chief Executive

Welcome to our new style online E News designed to keep you better informed about what is happening in the Trust. Given this is an election year, our programme has had to be condensed into a shorter timeframe, but the good news is that we are offering a full year programme with four parliamentary seminars plus one Opposition and one Government senior leadership dinners before Parliament is dissolved in September.

Our first seminar held on April 1st saw some outstanding presentations and no one left without having acquired new information about Parliament. A big thank you to all our parliamentary presenters. Likewise, our recent Machinery of Government seminar was a huge success with good interaction between presenters and corporate attendees.

We welcome three new corporate members from the energy and building construction sectors and I trust these companies and their staff will benefit from membership.

Thank you to Guardians NZ Superannuation Fund for hosting Todd Stephenson MP on a business attachment in March. 

We kicked the year off with a Wellington Liaison officers morning tea which proved invaluable. Further stakeholder engagement opportunities are planned.

Ngā mihi,

Darryl Stevens MNZM
Chief Executive

       Todd Stephenson and Catherine Etheredge 

Business Attachment

From the 19^th – 20^th of March Todd Stephenson MP was hosted by Guardians NZ Super Fund for our Business Attachment programme.

Day one of the attachment saw Todd meet Mike Frith – director and Liza Reiderman – senior economist, to gain an understanding of the history of the NZ Super Fund; how the funding model works and international and domestic economy. Brad Dunstan, co-Chief Investment Officer then discussed investment approach and portfolio.

To finish day one there was an insightful Q&A session and presentation exchanged between Todd and staff followed by further discussion regarding NZ Investment Portfolio and Approach from Will Goodwin – co Chief Investment Officer, Brendon Jones – Head of Real Assets and Joe Halapua – Director, NZ Equities.

On day two, Todd received valuable knowledge about Private Equity from Sian Orr, Portfolio Manager and John Redwood followed by a visit to Direct Capital—a NZ based private equity manager which has been investing on behalf of NZ Super Fund since 2009.  Here Todd met with Matt Mackinnon, Associate, Private Equity, Ross George, Exec Chair, Direct Capital, Heath Kerr, Managing Partner, Direct Capital, Hugh Cotterill, Managing Partner, Direct Capital, Andrew Frankham, Partner and CFO, Direct Capital, Jonathan Wong, Partner, Direct Capital, Chris Wills, Partner, Direct Capital and Rosalie Conroy, Head of Finance and ESG, Direct Capital.

This was followed by further discussion between MOVAC, a NZ based growth equity manager and Elevate Venture Capital Fund, a Crown-owned fund managed by NZ Growth Capital.

Business Attachments in the Pipeline

Helen White - Member for Mt Albert is to undertake a business attachment with Port of Auckland in early June.

Discussions are underway with three other corporates wishing to host with Members of Parliament identified.

Our New Interns

Isabella Fuller has joined us as COMMS & Social Media Intern and George Harris as Admin & Programme Intern. Both will play an invaluable role in supporting the day-to-day work of our small secretariat.

Isabella describes herself as a “creative and motivated Communications student in her second year of a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Creative and Literary Communication minoring in Film." She has worked as an independent Content Creator producing short-form video and photography content across social media platforms in addition to other media and film projects.

George is a recent Bachelor of Communications graduate from Victoria University of Wellington and is taking a year away from study before pursuing a master’s degree. Work experience has included Whitebait Media where he worked on a live TV set with a crew of 30+ people, managing tasks and responsibilities from multiple other team members. George has also engaged in voluntary work with UN Youth New Zealand and was part of the founding executive of the Film Production Society at Victoria University.  In addition to his internship, George works as Head Supervisor for an out of school care and recreation programme. He also likes going to a bouldering gym to hit fitness goals and running marathons!

   Key Changes Within Our Corporate Membership

Annual Meeting 

The 34th Annual Meeting will be held online on Wednesday 23 June at 5.45pm and will follow directly on from the Board Meeting. The Annual Review will be issued electronically in the week prior to the Annual General Meeting.

2nd Presidents Leadership Dinner 

Wednesday 29 July 2026 hosted by Barbara Kuriger MP, Deputy Speaker of the House. This dinner is now fully subscribed.

Morning Tea for Wellington Liaison Officers

On Thursday the 5^th of March, the New Zealand Business & Parliament Trust was joined by our Wellington corporate liaison officers for morning tea in Parliament’s Executive Wing.

The morning tea was an excellent opportunity for Board Chair Brent McAnulty and Chief Executive Darryl Stevens to discuss the exciting plans we have for 2026. Corporates highlighted the value the trust adds to their staff and colleagues understanding of Parliament. Business Attachment opportunities were highly valued as were the networking opportunities. The event also provided an opportunity to canvass new ideas to enhance the Trust’s mission.  We thank our Wellington-based liaison officers for their attendance and support. The event also provided an opportunity to introduce our two new Interns.

NZBPT First Seminar of 2026

On April 1st, the NZBPT was delighted to host our first seminar of 2026, focused on how government is exercised through Parliament. We were pleased to see an excellent turnout, with thoughtful engagement and valuable Q&A sessions following each speaker.

The day began with opening remarks from Darryl Stevens MNZM, Chief Executive of NZBPT, followed by Brent McAnulty, Board Chair and Seminar Chair.

We were privileged to hear from a range of distinguished speakers:
Barbara Kuriger, Deputy Speaker, who outlined the role, duties, and responsibilities of the Speaker, as well as the purpose of the Business Committee.

Dr David Wilson, Clerk of the House, who discussed the functions of the Clerk and the management of parliamentary proceedings.

Kieran McAnulty, Shadow Leader of the House who provided insight into working with Whips and the Shadow Cabinet to manage the Opposition’s legislative strategy.

We also heard from Stuart Smith MP (Chief Government Whip) and Tracey McLellan MP (Junior Opposition Whip), who shared valuable perspectives on how Government and Opposition Whips coordinate and manage Members of Parliament.

The morning included a networking session over morning tea in the Legislative Council Chamber, followed by Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister of Justice, Media and Communications, who spoke on the demands and constraints of ministerial roles, including the responsibilities of the executive and collective decision-making.

Our final speaker of the morning was Barbara Edmonds. Shadow Spokesperson, Finance and Economy who spoke on the role of the Opposition in an MMP environment in addition to her own shadow portfolio and electorate responsibilities.

Lunch in the Legislative Council Chamber provided an opportunity to network with Members of Parliament before attendees observed Question Time in the House, an insightful highlight of the day.

Our final speakers included:
Todd Stephenson MP (ACT Party), who discussed the 2023 coalition agreement from ACT’s perspective.

Anna Whyte, Senior Political Reporter, who provided an inside look at the Press Gallery.

Celia Wade-Brown QSO-Brown MP (Green Party) and Laura McClure MP (ACT Party), who reflected on the transition from private life to public office and the challenges and opportunities facing a first term backbench.

Overall, the seminar provided a highly informative and engaging experience. We are grateful for the positive feedback received and the strong level of participation throughout the day.

The First President's Dinner of 2026

On Wednesday the 13th of May, the New Zealand Business & Parliament Trust held its first Presidents Dinner of 2026 in the Ministerial Dining Room in the Beehive.

Hosted by Barbara Kuriger MP, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives with senior parliamentary guests Hon Dr Megan Woods, (Member for Wigram – Labour Party Spokesperson for Energy & Resources, Manufacturing & Industry and Associate Spokesperson Finance) and Hon Damien OConnor, Labour Party List MP and Spokesperson for Defense, Land Information, Regional Development, Trade & Export Growth.

Our corporate guests were Andrea Rickard ( Managing Director Beca), Lyall Hedges (Executive GM T&I South, Downer NZ Ltd), Matt Ritchie (GM Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs, Genesis), Bryce Davies (Executive Manager Corporate Relations, IAG), Steven McJorrow (CFO, Pāmu Landcorp Farming Limited, Landcorp), Julie Wagener (Lovell-Smith) (GM Communications, Government and Community Relations, Port of Auckland), Paul Blue (Chief Executive, PowerNet), Ben McLaren (Chief Executive Officer, Russell McVeagh), Ronald Mudaliar (Chief Underwriting Officer, Tower Insurance), Bernadette Kelly (Chief People and Corporate Officer, TVNZ), and Chris Blenkiron (Group Chief Executive, Vector Limited).

Machinery of Government Seminar

On the 20^th of May the New Zealand Business Parliament Trust held its second seminar of 2026 at Parliament, with the focus on the machinery of government. The day was a great success, with excellent levels of participation during Q&As and the interactive select committee mock session.

Our guest speakers were, Andy Foster MP discussing the purpose and role of select committees, making a written submission and speaking to a submission.

Helen Lockyer, Principal Advisor, Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, discussed the role the Govt Department plays in the development and delivery of policy.

Rachel Clarke, Senior Advisor, introduced the makeup and role of the Executive, Cabinet and cabinet committees.

A new focus for us was to feature a Crown Agency which had been requested as part of the participant feedback we run for these seminars. Richard Forgan, Group General Manager System Leadership, NZTA Waka Kotahi, discussed the working relationship between a Crown agency and a Minister, managing political sensitivities and relationships between the business/corporate world and Crown Agencies.

James Picker, Clerk Assistant, Office of the Clerk educated the group about legislation, House and Select Committees and the Budget and Financial cycle.

To finish our seminar day, our group participated in an interactive select committee mock training session and Q&A led by Ben Greig, Manager of Select Committee Services. We were pleased to see such enthusiasm for this session, with a high level of participation from all involved.

School Grants approved

Travel Assistance Fund for Schools

The Trust has been pleased to provide the following schools with small grants to help offset the costs of visiting Wellington and Parliament. Participating schools are required to undertake one of the education programmes managed by the Parliamentary Education team in addition to other curriculum and civics-based activities.

St Claudine Thevenet School              Wainuiomata
Pakuranga Heights School                  Auckland
Holy Family Catholic School                Wanaka
Wakatipu High School                         Central Otago
Mangere College                                 Auckland
Medbury School                                  Christchurch

Otago University Prizewinner

The New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust were delighted, on the nomination of Otago University, to award Kaia Patton the NZBPT Tertiary Prize 2025.

Kaia is currently studying towards a master’s degree in politics at the University of Otago, with a focus on Treaty politics. Her research explores the Treaty Principles Bill and the ideology of neoliberalism.

Kaia enjoyed attending our seminar on April 1, particularly the opportunity to gain insight into the world of politics and hear from Members of Parliament. She also highlighted the value of connecting with people from a range of professional backgrounds.

We look forward to seeing where Kaia’s journey takes her next.

At a glance – Role and Expectations of Members

Members of Parliament carry out a diverse range of duties as elected representatives. Their role is largely informed by the functions of the House of Representatives to make laws, provide and scrutinise the Government, and represent the people of New Zealand. Members, whether from governing or Opposition parties, play a vital leadership role. However, these aspects of the role are not prescribed; they may carry out their duties as they see fit. Members are elected as either electorate members (representing a particular area) or list members. They typically run for office as members of political parties. While there is a traditional assumption that members conduct themselves honourably, explicit expectations have been developed to guide members’ behaviour and responsibilities in the workplace.

Click here to find out more.