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Public Finance (Well-being) Amendment Bill (Consistent) [2019] NZBORARp 47 (30 July 2019)

Last Updated: 11 March 2020

30 July 2019

LEGAL ADVICE

LPA 01 01 24

Hon David Parker, Attorney-General

Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990: Public Finance (Well- being) Amendment Bill

1. We have considered whether the Public Finance (Well-being) Amendment Bill (‘the Bill’) is consistent with the rights and freedoms affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (‘the Bill of Rights Act’).
2. We have not yet received the final version of the Bill. This advice has been prepared in relation to a recent version of the Bill (PCO21902/1.5). We will provide you with further advice if the final version includes amendments that affect the conclusions in this advice.
3. The Bill amends the Public Finance Act 1989 (‘the principal Act’) to introduce requirements for the Government to report annually on its well-being objectives, and for the Treasury to report periodically on well-being indicators. More specifically the Bill:
   1. inserts well-being objectives that will guide the Government’s Budget decisions into the budget policy statement;
   2. requires the Government in its fiscal strategy report to explain how well-being objectives have guided the Government’s Budget decisions;
   100. requires the investment statement prepared by the Treasury to be accompanied by a statement of responsibility signed by the Secretary to the Treasury; and
   4. requires the responsible Minister to present to the House of Representatives, at regular intervals, a report on well-being prepared by the Treasury.
4. We have concluded that the Bill appears to be consistent with the rights and freedoms affirmed in the Bill of Rights Act.
   

Edrick Child

Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Office of Legal Counsel