Insights

“Release the Lot!”

“Release it,” says the Minister, pushing the report back across his desk. “All of it.” The Chief Executive stares at the thick document – six months of analysis on prison reform. “Minister, our advice is clear. The proposed changes carry significant risks.” “Yes,” the Minister says, leaning back. “Your advice is clear, thorough, and I…

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The Whiteboard Circuit Breaker

From my position by the door, I watch four Ministers from three parties circle the Cabinet committee room like wary cats. Housing from Labour, Finance from Labour, Infrastructure from NZ First, and Local Government from the Greens – each armed with different advice about the urban development legislation and housing. “My officials are clear,” the…

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Better by Rejection

From my usual seat at the far end of the table in the Minister’s office, I watch another tense briefing unfold about Māori unemployment statistics. Being a Private Secretary means I see these moments play out daily, but this one feels different. “Show me what’s really happening,” the Minister demands, drumming fingers on the latest…

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Doctor Doctor, It’s Not That Kind of Truth

“This is censorship,” the Principal Advisor declares, waving his draft journal article. “I have two PhDs and twenty years of expertise. The public needs to hear my critique of the government’s trade policy. What happened to free speech in this country?” The Chief Executive suppresses a sigh. The Principal Advisor works for me. This is…

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A Political Pas de Deux

I sit at the far end of the table in the Minister’s office, watching this particular piece of political theatre play out. The morning meeting has all the familiar props – the polished conference table, the cabinet paper, the untouched coffees growing cold. The Minister drums her fingers on the paper. “I understand the statistical…

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Cliffs and Slopes

My fingers tremble on the doorknob as I force myself to open it gently, though every instinct screams to burst in. The sound still cracks through the office like a gunshot. The Minister’s shoulders stiffen before he turns, and I catch the flash of irritation in his eyes, the muscle working in his jaw. “Minister,”…

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Ministers and Mandarins

In the crowded waiting room outside the main Cabinet room, I shift my appointment paper on my lap, watching senior officials trade whispers. I’m item fourteen on the agenda. It’s a theoretically straightforward paper until you factor in the Treasury official’s frown at me when I walked into the room and that pointed cough from…

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