OIA24-0594 
 
17 September 2024 
 
John Luke 
 
[FYI request #28048 email] 
 
 
Dear John, 
 
Thank you for your email of 14 August 2024 requesting information relating to nominations 
for the Veterinary Council of New Zealand. Your request has been considered under the 
Of icial Information Act 1982 (OIA). 
 
On 11 September 2024 MPI extended the time limit to respond to your request to 25 
September 2024. 
 
You requested the following:  
 
I noted, you have recently called for nominations for your Veterinary Council of New 
Zealand (the Vet Council) 
May I ask how you called for public nomination and on what platform you have called for 
public nominations e.g. govt.jobs website. Also, how many applications you have received 
from the public and how many you have received from other nominating agencies such as 
TPK or Ministry for Women etc. for your role. How many have you shortlisted and how 
many have you interviewed. When do you expect the process wil  be concluded. 
Nominations for the roles open on the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (the Vet Council) 
were advertised publicly on Seek.co.nz, jobs.govt.nz, and MPI’s website. Nominations were 
also called for on the website for the Vet Council, with applicants being directed to make 
nominations on the above sites advertising the role. 
 
Nominations are now closed, and 16 nominations were received. 11 of these nominations 
have been identified as qualified vets, four as otherwise qualified (lay people), and one 
applicant was identified as not eligible for consideration. There were no nominations received 
from nominating agencies. 
 
The next steps assessing applicants to the Vet Council are managed by MPI staff and take 
between 3-6 months. The steps consist of: 
•  Background checks and further assessment of candidates before presenting shortlist 
to the Minister; 
•  Approval of shortlist by the Minister; 
•  Complete referee checks, conflict of interest declarations, and interview approved 
candidates, and 
•  Minister is briefed on recommended appointments and takes the recommendations to 
Cabinet for approval. 
Policy & Trade 
Regulatory Systems Policy 
Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street 
PO Box 2526 
Wellington 6140, New Zealand 
mpi.govt.nz 

---

 
 
Once assessments are complete and recommendations received by Cabinet, the 
appointment of candidates begins which is the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture. 
The steps to appointment are publicly available linked as the Appointments Process 
Workflow in the Public Service Commissions guide to appointing candidates which can be 
accessed here; https:/ www.publicservice.govt.nz/guidance/guide-board-appointment-and-
induction-guidelines/appointing-
candidates#:~:text=Once%20the%20minister's%20intention%20to,appointment%20to%20th
e%20Governor%2DGeneral. 
 
Should you have any concerns with this response, I would encourage you to raise these with 
the Ministry for Primary Industries at [email address]. Alternatively, you 
are advised of your right to also raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman. 
Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143 or at 
[email address]. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
Fiona Duncan 
Director, Regulatory Systems Policy 
 
 
 
2 

---