New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
25 October 2024
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Jack Tallot
T +64 4 439 8000
[email address]>
F +64 4 472 9596
[FYI request #28606 email]
OIA 29729
Tēnā koe Jack Tallot
Thank you for your email of 1 October 2024 in which you request the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
‘1. The costs, both ongoing and up-front, of appointing a High Commissioner to Nauru.
2. When this role was opened for applications.
3. When the decision was made to create this position, and by whom that decision was
made.
4. A copy of the original hiring plan for MFAT after the Government's cost-saving call to all
ministries.’
AND
‘… comparison figure showing the cost-saving achieved by your ministry following the
coalition government's directive to save costs. Specifically, I'm looking for a percentage
figure showing the change in Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spending since 1/3/24.’
The role of High Commissioner to Nauru was opened for applications during the week of
4 December 2023.
Historically, this role has been serviced via cross-accreditation and was first established in 1974.
This accreditation was first held by the High Commissioner to Fiji, and more recently by the
High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands. In 2013, then Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon Murray McCully chose to service the accreditation from Wellington, and a Wellington-based
High Commissioner was appointed, carrying out the role of High Commissioner to Nauru within
their work remit as a Unit Manager in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (the Ministry)
Melanesia & Micronesia Division, Pacific & Development Group.
The hiring plan for the Nauru High Commissioner position followed the Ministry’s normal
recruitment processes. With the focus on Government cost-saving objectives, the Ministry
currently has implemented an elevated level of approval prior to vacancies being advertised.
The costs associated with appointing the High Commissioner to Nauru are part of the Ministry’s
business as usual recruitment processes. This information is refused under section 18(f) of the
OIA, as the information requested would require the identification and separation of funding for
the advertising, hiring and appointment of the High Commissioner position from other recruitment
processes.
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 2
The Ministry made a permanent annual saving of NZ$15 million in Vote Foreign Affairs as a
contribution to the whole-of-government savings exercise. This applies to the 2024/25 financial
year. It is approximately 1% of the Ministry’s total annual spend.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your personal information
removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-
us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
