Cabinet To Meet Fortnightly

Cabinet will move to a fortnightly meeting schedule after Easter, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley announced today.

She said the move reflected the streamlined decision-making tracks now in place, and would make better use of Ministers' time.

Budget planning was better advanced than normal at this time of year, after the early release of the Budget Policy Statement.

"The Budget round is well advanced so we've decided to make this step after Easter," Mrs Shipley said.

"I've been working towards this for some time. The Ministerial teams I put in place last year have been working extremely well. Many issues are resolved before they come to Cabinet, and a lot of decisions can be made at committee level," Mrs Shipley said.

The move puts New Zealand in line with other countries such as Australia. In many countries, Cabinet meets on an irregular or "as-needed" basis, or on a much looser schedule than New Zealand's.

"On the weeks when Cabinet is not meeting, Ministers will be freed up to work on issues that concern New Zealanders and to meet constituents in their electorates or list areas of responsibility," Mrs Shipley said.