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- Engage-in-Brief: 16 June 2025
Engage-in-Brief: 16 June 2025
Holly Bennett
June 16, 2025
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TWO TRICKS TO TRY
Most people know that you can read the Hansard to find out what went on during debates in the House, but did you also know that the Hansard team also transcribes certain select committee hearings as well? With the upcoming Scrutiny Week (more about that below), this is a good way to get caught up on Estimates hearings you’re interested in but don’t have time to watch.
Looking forward to watching some Select Committee hearings during Scrutiny Week? We certainly are! Public hearings are all streamed live on Parliament’s website. Each committee also has its own Vimeo page, so if you miss it live, or if you just want to check something later on, you can always go back and watch it in your own time as well.
ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW
This week is Parliament’s first Scrutiny Week for 2025. Every year, Parliament's select committees hold two scrutiny weeks to do in-depth examination of the Government's spending and the performance of public sector agencies.
During scrutiny weeks the House doesn't sit, and select committees meet for the whole day instead. Ministers and public sector chief leadership teams are expected to attend and answer questions from MPs. The June scrutiny week is all about the Budget, with questions focused on the Government’s spending plans for the next year.
Of course, with committees scheduled to meet for a combined total of well over 100 hours over the course of a single week, it can be hard to know what you should pay attention to. But there are two easy ways to get a good idea of when committees will be covering something relevant to you and your kaupapa.
The first is by checking the List of Submitters. This shows you which Ministers are appearing before each committee, and when they’re going to be talking. Work out which Ministers you’re interested in hearing from, then look through the list to find out when they’re scheduled for.
The next is by looking at the Structured Agendas. For longer hearings, some committees will put together a detailed agenda setting out exactly what they’ll be covering with the Minister. Once you know which hearings are relevant to you, check if there’s a structured agenda available.
And don’t forget to check back in a couple of months, when the committees present their hearing reports back to the House!
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ONE FUNNY THING
Last week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston were at Auckland Airport to make an announcement about a new tourism initiative. But things didn’t quite go to plan…
A good reminder to make sure you always account for the real world when you’re doing your planning — no matter how important your message might be, reality can always come along and throw another challenge in your path.
That’s it for this edition of Engage-in-Brief. Remember, you have a voice and you can use it! If you need training to support your advocacy efforts simply reply to this email.
Mauri ora!
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