Calls for Ombudsman to open wider investigation into private back-channel emails in Luxon’s office – Green Party

The Green Party is calling for a fulsome investigation into the use of private email in the Prime Minister’s Office, after an answer to a written parliamentary question exhaustively listed staff private email – except for the Fonterra and Z Energy climate lobbying document sent to Luxon’s former staffer.

“Something fishy is going on in the Prime Ministers’ office when lobbyist documents that miraculously end up as Government law change after being handled by his Chief Policy Advisor manage to somehow disappear from the public record,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“We know this was at least partially possible because a private email address was used. We can now also piece together the fact that there clearly was not adequate care nor concern nor processes in place to stop this from happening, because Greens’ specific questioning of the Prime Minister in 2025 should have meant they uncovered and declared this a year ago.”

“In May last year, we asked the Prime Minister to account for every official document that ended up in a staffer’s private inbox. The list included more than twenty times this had happened. Included was the return of a Briscoes order. Excluded was the Fonterra and Z Energy climate briefing documents we now all know was received in June 2024.”

Green Party Co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson have written to Chief Ombudsman John Allen requesting an investigation under section 13 of the Ombudsmen Act 1975, the broadest power available to him.

“As the Government ticks off polluters’ wish lists and tells us all it has nothing to do with the now exposed lobbying efforts, it is in Luxon’s best interest – let alone the interests of democracy – to lift every stone and fix every process. He should welcome a fulsome investigation into his office practices by the Ombudsman,” says Swarbrick.