Ministerial decision-making documents

Advice to the Minister of Health: April 2026

Advice sent to the Minister of Health in April 2026 is listed below, along with links to any documents that have been proactively released.

**Briefings, memos and aides mémoire to Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, 1 – 30 April 2026**
Date Sent	Reference	Title
1/04/2026	H2026077804	21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference 2026
1/04/2026	H2026077820	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
1/04/2026	H2026080417	Health New Zealand monthly report - February 2026
1/04/2026	H2026079785	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
1/04/2026	H2026080897	Talking points for proposed changes to rates for In Between Travel (IBT) and National Travel Assistance (NTA)
1/04/2026	H2026078633	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
1/04/2026	H2026080680	Options for adjustment of settings to the National Travel Assistance scheme and the In Between Travel settlement
2/04/2026	H2026080867	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
8/04/2026	H2026081070	Further Information on the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration 2026
9/04/2026	H2026080750	Draft Cabinet paper: Addressing nitrous oxide misuse
9/04/2026	H2026080584	All of Government Health Targets – March 2025/26 reporting for endorsement
9/04/2026	H2026081121	Implications of Phases 3 and 4 of the National Fuel Plan
9/04/2026	H2026081232	Allocating planned care training to rural general practitioners
10/04/2026	H2026081068	Supporting improvements in blood cancer outcomes
10/04/2026	H2026081259	Update on fuel obligations and vehicle fleets for health agencies
13/04/2026	H2026080975	Budget 2026: Financial Recommendations for Vote Health
14/04/2026	H2026080223	Launch of Blood Cancer New Zealand’s State of Blood Cancer in New Zealand Report
14/04/2026	H2026081258	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
15/04/2026	H2026079847	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
15/04/2026	H2026081348	Cabinet Social Outcomes Committee - Addressing nitrous oxide misuse
15/04/2026	H2026081350	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
16/04/2026	H2026081192	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
16/04/2026	H2026080117	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
16/04/2026	H2026080241	Meeting with Skin Cancer NZ
16/04/2026	H2026078169	25 Year Celebration of Mātanga Tapuhi Nurse Practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand
16/04/2026	H2026078910	Meeting with Dental Council
16/04/2026	H2026081313	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
16/04/2026	H2026078039	Primary care target – technical definition and draft implementation plan
20/04/2026	H2026079281	Meeting with the Health Workforce Committee
20/04/2026	H2026081518	Social Investment Fund Ministerial meeting
20/04/2026	H2026080700	Public Health Advisory Committee Appointment
21/04/2026	H2026079564	Speaking at 2026 Health Innovators’ Summit
21/04/2026	H2026078859	Meeting with Professor Neil Quigley, University of Waikato
21/04/2026	H2026080766	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
22/04/2026	H2026081126	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
23/04/2026	H2026080240	Cancer Society parliamentary breakfast
23/04/2026	H2026081195	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
28/04/2026	H2026081344	Meeting with Gen Pro on 30 April 2026
28/04/2026	H2026081392	Meeting with New Zealand Blood and Organ Service
28/04/2026	H2026080604	Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ
28/04/2026	H2026081806	Pandemic Agreement and Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex – Next steps
28/04/2026	H2026082103	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
29/04/2026	H2026080605	Meeting with Melanoma New Zealand
30/04/2026	H2026081211	Prescription lengths for controlled opioids
30/04/2026	H2026080852	Withheld under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act
30/04/2026	H2026081759	Ministerial Certification of Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets as at 31 December 2025

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Briefings, memos and aides memoire to Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, 1 - 30 April 2026

( pdf, 119.25 KB )

Withheld information

Some parts of this information release would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Where this is the case, the relevant sections of the Act that would apply have been identified. Where information has been withheld, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.

Key to redaction codes

Section	Conclusive reasons to withhold official information
Section 6(a)	Prejudice New Zealand’s defence, security or international relations.
Section 6(b)	Prejudice any international government or organisations entrusting information to the government on a basis of confidence.
Section 6(c)	Prejudice the maintenance of the law (including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences and the right to a fair trial).
Section 6(d)	Endanger the safety of any person.
Section 6(e)	Seriously damage the economy by prematurely disclosing decisions to change or continue with Government economic or financial policies.

Section	Other reasons to withhold official information
Section 9 (2)(a)	Protect the privacy of natural persons (including the privacy of a deceased person).
Section 9 (2)(b)	Protect information where the making available of the information would disclose a trade secret or would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
Section 9 (2)(ba)	Protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person is compellable to provide, where the making available of the information would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information or information from a similar source and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied, or it would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest.
Section 9 (2)(c)	Avoid prejudice to measures protecting the health or safety of members of the public.
Section 9 (2)(d)	Avoid prejudice to the substantial economic interests of New Zealand.
Section 9 (2)(e)	Avoid prejudice to measures that prevent or mitigate material loss to members of the public.
Section 9 (2)(f)	Maintain the constitutional conventions which protect confidentiality of communications by or with the Sovereign or her representative, collective and individual ministerial responsibility, the political neutrality of officials, and the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials.
Section 9 (2)(g)	Maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by, between, or to, Ministers, officers and employees of a Department or members of an organisation, in the course of their duty, or through protection of any of them from improper pressure or harassment.
Section 9 (2)(h)	Maintain legal professional privilege.
Section 9 (2)(i)	Enable a Minister or Department to carry out commercial activities.
Section 9 (2)(j)	Enable a Minister or Department to carry out negotiations without prejudice or disadvantage.
Section 9 (2)(k)	Prevent the disclosure or use of information for improper gain.