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75-668: The Cabinet of New Zealand ( Māori : Te Rūnanga o te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa ) is the New Zealand Government 's body of senior ministers , accountable to the New Zealand Parliament . Cabinet meetings, chaired by the prime minister , occur once a week; in them, vital issues are discussed and government policy is formulated. Cabinet is also composed of a number of committees focused on specific areas of governance and policy. Though not established by any statute , Cabinet wields significant power within

150-564: A collective decision-making body known as the Cabinet , which is led by the prime minister (currently Christopher Luxon ). A few more ministers (usually junior or supporting) are part of the Executive Council but are outside Cabinet. Most ministers have a portfolio of specific responsibilities such as departments or policy areas, although ministers without portfolio can be appointed. The position of prime minister belongs to

225-446: A general election . Not since 1928 has a government been defeated on a confidence vote and therefore been obliged to resign. The Constitution Act 1986 stipulates that general elections must be held at least every three years, making this the maximum period of time that a government can serve without seeking renewal of its mandate . Upon the dissolution of Parliament (preceding a general election) ministers are no longer members of

300-470: A "general warrant" to enforce its laws. These warrants were broad in nature and did not have specifics as to why they were issued or what the arrest was being made for. A general warrant placed almost no limitations on the search or arresting authority of a soldier or sheriff. This concept had become a serious problem when those in power issued general warrants to have their enemies arrested when no wrongdoing had been done. The Parliament of Great Britain passed

375-490: A cabinet meeting separately from the Executive Council began during Edward Stafford 's first tenure as premier (1856–1861). Stafford, a long-time advocate of responsible government in New Zealand, believed the colonial government should have full control over all its affairs, without the intervention of the governor. Because the governor chaired the Executive Council, Stafford intentionally met with his ministers without

450-409: A corresponding public service department ( see § Departments ). The most important minister, following the prime minister, is the finance minister , while other high-profile portfolios include foreign affairs , justice , health and education . Traditionally, all members are collectively responsible for the actions taken by Cabinet—typically all Cabinet ministers must publicly support

525-652: A number of ministerial portfolios including foreign affairs, infrastructure, regional economic development, and internal affairs. Members of Cabinet meet on a regular basis, usually weekly on a Monday, to discuss the most important issues of government policy. Matters that must be submitted to Cabinet include new legislation, involving draft government bills ; financial proposals and budget decisions; constitutional arrangements; public service changes; government responses to select committee recommendations; portfolio interests of ministers; appointments to government bodies; and international treaties. The meetings are chaired by

600-610: A result, almost all of the Act was suspended pending the new Act of 1852. New Zealand was at this time being governed as a Crown colony . Prior to the act, the basic document setting out the governance of New Zealand since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi was the Charter for Erecting the Colony of New Zealand of 1840. New Zealand was granted colonial self-government in 1853 following

675-629: Is a formal body that meets to give legal effect to decisions made by the Cabinet, and to carry out various other functions, such as the making of certain appointments to government agencies and boards. The Executive Council's primary function is to issue Orders in Council , which are legally binding regulations made by the Government. All ministers are members of the Executive Council, and are styled " The Honourable " while in office (or for life if

750-399: Is a misnomer to deem the unanimity principle of collective responsibility a constitutional convention as such. Joseph views unanimity as merely a "rule of pragmatic politics", lacking a sufficient constitutional nature to be deemed a constitutional convention. He states that, unlike a convention, governments may waive, suspend or abandon political rules, as has happened since the introduction of

825-430: Is said to serve " at His Majesty's pleasure ". As per the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy , the king and his representative rarely intervene directly in political affairs. Just as the sovereign's choice of governor-general is on the prime minister's advice, the governor-general exercises the executive powers of state on the advice of ministers. For example, the governor-general's power to withhold

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900-424: Is selected on the advice of the prime minister. " Advice " in this sense is a choice without options since it would be highly unconventional for the prime minister's advice to be ignored—a convention that protects the monarchy. As long as the monarch is following the advice of his ministers, he is not held personally responsible for the decisions of the Government. The governor-general has no official term limit , and

975-464: Is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand . As in most other parliamentary democracies , the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch , and more specifically to the collective ministry directing the executive. Based on the principle of responsible government , it operates within the framework that "the [ King ] reigns, but

1050-622: Is the head of state under the Constitution Act 1986. The legal authority of the state that is vested in the monarch, known as " the Crown ", which is the source of the executive power exercised by the Government. Sovereignty in New Zealand has never rested solely with the monarch due to the English Bill of Rights 1689 , later inherited by New Zealand, which establishes the principle of parliamentary sovereignty . Nonetheless,

1125-553: Is usually issued by a court and is directed to a sheriff , a constable , or a police officer. Warrants normally issued by a court include search warrants , arrest warrants , and execution warrants . In the United Kingdom , senior public appointments are made by warrant under the royal sign-manual , the personal signature of the monarch , on the recommendation of the government. In an interesting survival from medieval times, these warrants abate (lose their force) on

1200-704: The Cabinet Manual has become the official document which governs its functions, as well as on which its convention rests. The structure of Cabinet has as its basis the formal institution known as the Executive Council , the body tasked with advising the governor-general in the exercise of their formal constitutional functions (the " Governor-General in Council "). Most ministers hold membership of both bodies, but some executive councillors, known as "ministers outside Cabinet", are not ranked as Cabinet members and do not normally attend. The convention of

1275-551: The Cabinet Legislation Committee before they can be introduced to the House. Convention regarding Cabinet's authority has considerable force, and generally proves strong enough to bind its participants. Theoretically, each minister operates independently, having received a ministerial warrant over a certain field from the Crown . But the governor-general can dismiss a minister at any time, conventionally on

1350-576: The Executive Council , the body tasked with advising the governor-general in the exercise of his or her formal constitutional functions. Outside Cabinet, there are a number of non-Cabinet ministers, responsible for a specific policy area and reporting directly to a senior Cabinet minister. Ministers outside Cabinet are also part of Cabinet committees and will regularly attend Cabinet meetings which concern their portfolios . Therefore, although operating outside of Cabinet directly, these ministers do not lack power and influence as they are still very much part of

1425-550: The Liberal Party and the Liberal Government . The prime minister became the leader and public face of the governing party. The status of the monarch's representative was upgraded from "governor" to " governor-general " in 1917 letters patent . In short, there have been three distinctly different periods of New Zealand government—firstly, the period before responsible government; second, from 1856 to 1890,

1500-467: The National Party , three from ACT , and three from New Zealand First . There are eight ministers outside Cabinet: five from National, two from ACT, and one from New Zealand First. Additionally, two parliamentary under-secretaries assist ministers from a parliamentary standpoint. The table below lists all ministers, as of 25 June 2024. A Cabinet committee comprises a subset of

1575-697: The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 , which was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Governments were set up at both central and provincial level, with initially six provinces. The provinces were abolished by the Abolition of Provinces Act 1876, during the premiership of Harry Atkinson . For the purposes of the law, the provinces formally ceased to exist on 1 January 1877. The Sewell Ministry constituted

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1650-569: The New Zealand political system , with nearly all government bills it introduces in Parliament being enacted. The New Zealand Cabinet follows the traditions of the British cabinet system . Members of Cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament for its actions and policies. Cabinet discussions are confidential and are not disclosed to the public apart from the announcement of decisions. All ministers in Cabinet also serve as members of

1725-633: The Revenue Act 1767 ( 7 Geo. 3 . c. 46) which reaffirmed the legality of writs of assistance , or general search warrants , and gave customs officials broad powers to search houses and businesses for smuggled goods. This law was one of the key acts of Great Britain which led to the American Revolution , and is the direct reason that the American Founding Fathers ensured that general warrants would be illegal in

1800-582: The United States will take the approximate form of: "This Court orders the Sheriff or Constable to find the named person, wherever he may be found, and deliver said person to the custody of the Court." Generally, a U.S. arrest warrant must contain the caption of the court issuing the warrant, the name (if known) of the person to be arrested, the offense charged, the date of issue, the officer(s) to whom

1875-473: The central government deals with issues relevant to New Zealand and its people as a nation, local government exists "to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities", and "to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses." Warrant (law) A warrant

1950-469: The mixed-member proportional system (MMP) in 1993 ( see § Electoral reform ). One reform following the introduction of MMP allowed for junior parties in a coalition the ability to ' agree to disagree ' with the majority in order to manage policy differences. Following the 2011 general election the National-led government released the following statement in regards to the role of minor parties in

2025-441: The 1890s, for example, there were seven Cabinet ministers. The number of ministers within Cabinet increased in the period up until the 1970s, but has plateaued at 20 since 1972 ; this despite increases in the number of members of parliament. By contrast, the numbers of ministers outside Cabinet has grown, especially since the introduction of MMP. Ministers are formally styled "The Honourable" (abbreviated to "The Hon."), except for

2100-427: The Cabinet as a legal entity; it exists solely by constitutional convention. Its decisions do not in and of themselves have legal force; however, it serves as the practical expression of the Executive Council, which is New Zealand's highest formal governmental body. The prime minister is responsible for chairing meetings of Cabinet. The governor-general will appoint as prime minister the person most likely to receive

2175-433: The Cabinet that outlines the Government's policy and legislative proposals. A few other ministers serve in the Executive Council but outside of Cabinet. Since the introduction of MMP, governments have been formed following agreements between a major party and smaller support parties. In such arrangements, government ministers from the support parties are often ministers outside Cabinet. Non-Cabinet ministers may also be from

2250-533: The Constitution Act describes the monarch as the " Sovereign ". In many areas, the Crown possesses a body of powers known as the royal prerogative . For example, the Royal Assent (the monarch's approval) is required to enact laws and the royal sign-manual gives authority to letters patent and orders in council . The royal prerogative also includes summoning and dissolving the Parliament in order to call an election , and extends to foreign affairs:

2325-431: The House of Representatives; however, they can remain members of the Executive Council "until the expiration of the 28th day after the day on which that person ceases to be a member of Parliament". Also known as " ministers of the Crown ", these are members of Parliament who hold ministerial warrants from the Crown to perform certain functions of government. This includes formulating and implementing policies and advising

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2400-480: The House, could not govern alone. Negotiations forming the new government took nearly two months however the ultimate result being that New Zealand First were to have five ministers inside Cabinet and four outside. This translated to having 36.4% of representation in the new government. The Prime Minister following the 1996 election, Jim Bolger, was forced to tell his caucus during negotiations with New Zealand First, that he would not be able to satisfy all ambitions of

2475-424: The House. The Government is required by convention and for practical reasons to maintain the support, or confidence, of the House of Representatives. It also requires the support of the House for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets ) and in order to pass primary legislation . By convention, if a government loses the confidence of the House then it must either resign or call for

2550-476: The New Zealand Government. The official website of the New Zealand Government uses the web address beehive.govt.nz . The first New Zealand Constitution Act was passed in 1846, though Governor George Grey was opposed to its implementation, specifically the proposed division of the country into European and Māori districts, and stated that settlers were not ready for self-government. As

2625-586: The Royal Assent to bills of parliament has been rendered ineffective by the convention. Under the conventions of the Westminster system , the Government is accountable to the House of Representatives, the democratically elected component of Parliament , rather than to the sovereign. This is called responsible government . For example, ministers are required to be members of the House, and they make statements and take questions from other members in

2700-816: The United States by ratifying the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1791. Under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution a warrant is broadly required, which particularly describes the place to be searched, and the persons, or things, to be seized; no warrants may be issued without probable cause , and support by testimony before a judge. The courts have recognized many warrantless searches , including exceptions for routine administrative or inventory searches, searches made under exigent circumstances, and searches made with consent. A typical arrest warrant in

2775-591: The actions of their department, being answerable to the House of Representatives. This principle is called individual ministerial responsibility . The wider state sector also includes about 2,800 Crown entities (including some 2,600 school boards of trustees), 17 state-owned enterprises , three officers of Parliament, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand . There are two main tiers of elected local authorities— regional councils and territorial authorities —in some places merged into unitary authorities . While

2850-422: The advice of the prime minister, so ministers are largely obliged to work within a certain framework. Cabinet itself acts as the accepted forum for establishing this framework. Ministers will jointly discuss the policy which the government as a whole will pursue, and ministers who do not exercise their respective powers in a manner compatible with Cabinet's decision risk losing those powers. This has become known as

2925-441: The caucus, due to the forced inclusion of the minority party into the governmental framework, thus highlighting one of the challenges that came with MMP. The result of MMP on Cabinet structure in New Zealand is also highlighted below under the § Members heading. In the coalition deal following the election New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was given the position of deputy prime minister, and New Zealand First were given

3000-500: The changes resulting from the new proportional parliament. New Zealand First received 13.4% of the party vote, giving them 17 total seats in the House of Representatives (in contrast to 8.5% in the 1993 general election, conducted under the plurality voting system ). This ultimately resulted in the National–New Zealand First coalition as the National Party , who received 33.8% of the party vote, translating to 44 seats in

3075-598: The clerk of the Executive Council where they provide a channel of communication and liaison between the Cabinet and the governor-general. The Cabinet room, where the weekly meetings are normally held, and related offices are located at the top of the Beehive (the Executive Wing of Parliament Buildings ). The prime minister assigns roles to ministers and ranks them in order to determine seniority. A minister's rank depends on factors such as "their length of service,

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3150-427: The confidence of the House of Representatives to lead the Government. In practice, the appointment is determined by size of each political party , support agreements between parties, and leadership votes in the party that leads the Government. The prime minister then advises the governor-general to appoint other ministers. Each minister is responsible for the general administration of at least one portfolio , and heads

3225-560: The confidence of their party colleagues. An example is former Prime Minister David Lange , who publicly spoke against a tax reform package which was sponsored by then- Finance Minister Roger Douglas and supported by Cabinet. Douglas was forced to resign, but when the Cabinet supported Douglas against Lange, the Prime Minister interpreted this as a vote of no-confidence in his leadership and stepped down. Some political commentators, such as Professor Philip Joseph, have argued that it

3300-415: The context of collective responsibility: Collective responsibility applies differently in the case of support party Ministers. Support party Ministers are only bound by collective responsibility in relation to their own respective portfolios (including any specific delegated responsibilities). When support party Ministers speak about the issues in their portfolios, they speak for the government and as part of

3375-678: The death of the sovereign if they have not already been executed. This particularly applied to death warrants in the days when England authorized capital punishment . Perhaps the most well-known example of this occurred on 17 November 1558, when England was under the rule of a Catholic queen, Mary I , daughter of Henry VIII and the Spanish Catholic Catherine of Aragon . Several Protestants convicted of heresy had been condemned to die. They were tied to stakes in Smithfield , an open market area in central London , and

3450-520: The decision making process. Cabinet is not established by any statute or constitutional document but exists purely by long-established constitutional convention . This convention carries sufficient weight for many official declarations and regulations to refer to Cabinet; a government department —the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet —is responsible for supporting it. Although Cabinet lacks any direct legislative framework for its existence,

3525-417: The decisions of Cabinet. However, since the introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system in 1993, processes were developed to allow different parties within a coalition cabinet to " agree to disagree " on some issues. The legislative agenda of Parliament is determined by the Cabinet. At the start of each new parliamentary term, the governor-general gives an address prepared by

3600-453: The doctrine of Cabinet collective responsibility. Collective responsibility is grounded in three key principles. The first principle is unanimity , where members of Cabinet must publicly support decisions and defend them in public, regardless of any personal views on the matter. Secondly, the confidentiality limb means that all Cabinet discussions are to be kept confidential. This allows for open and explicit conversation, discussion and debate on

3675-472: The finance committee, enabling them to determine what it recommended to Cabinet. The official recommendation of the finance committee was much harder for his opponents to fight than his individual claims in Cabinet would be. Douglas was able to pass measures that, had Cabinet deliberated on them itself rather than pass them to committee, would have been defeated. New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government ( Māori : Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa )

3750-617: The firewood bundles were about to be lit, when a royal messenger rode up to announce that Mary I had died: the warrants for their death had lost their force. The first formal act of Mary's successor, the Protestant Elizabeth I , daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn , was to decline to re-issue the warrants; the Protestants were released a few weeks later. For many years, the English, later British, government had used

3825-405: The first responsible government , with control over all domestic matters other than native policy. Formed in 1856, it lasted from 18 April to 20 May. From 7 May onward, Henry Sewell was titled " colonial secretary ", and is generally regarded as having been the country's first prime minister. The first ministry that formed along party lines did not appear until 1891, when John Ballance formed

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3900-485: The first schedule to the State Sector Act 1988 . Staffed by around 45,000 public servants, they provide the government of the day with advice and deliver services to the public. Since the 1980s, the public service has been marketised . Each department is headed by a chief executive who answers to a government minister for that department's performance. In turn, a minister bears the ultimate responsibility for

3975-547: The government position. Ministers outside Cabinet retain individual ministerial responsibility for the actions of their department (in common with Cabinet ministers). The 1993 electoral referendum in New Zealand resulted in a number of structural changes to Cabinet. The change to the MMP system ultimately led to a larger number of political parties in Parliament , as under the proportional representation system any political party can enter Parliament if they received five percent of

4050-490: The government rules, so long as it has the support of the House of Representatives ". The Cabinet Manual describes the main laws, rules and conventions affecting the conduct and operation of the Government. Executive power is exercised by ministers , all of whom are sworn into the Executive Council and accountable to the elected legislature , the House of Representatives. Several senior ministers (usually 20) constitute

4125-495: The government. As of February 2023, there were 10 Cabinet committees: Cabinet committees will often discuss matters under delegated authority or directly referred to them by Cabinet, and then report back the results of their deliberation. This can sometimes become a powerful tool for advancing certain policies, as was demonstrated in the Lange government . Minister of Finance Roger Douglas and his allies succeeded in dominating

4200-400: The government. When the government takes decisions within their portfolios, they must support those decisions, regardless of their personal views and whether or not they were at the meeting concerned. When support party Ministers speak about matters outside their portfolios, they may speak as political party leaders or members of Parliament rather than as Ministers, and do not necessarily support

4275-464: The governor present, thus reducing the Council to its formal role. The lack of formal legislation establishing Cabinet leaves the powers of its members only loosely defined. Cabinet generally directs and controls policy (releasing government policy statements ), and is responsible to the House of Representatives, the elected component of Parliament. It also has significant influence over law-making, and all draft government bills must be submitted to

4350-606: The governor-general acts on the advice of the prime minister in appointing ministers. In New Zealand, the term Government can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government—namely, the executive branch , legislative branch (the King-in-Parliament and House of Representatives ) and judicial branch (the Supreme Court and subordinate courts). Each branch operates independently of

4425-468: The governor-general. Before 1996 nearly all ministers were members of the Cabinet, but since the introduction of proportional representation , which has led to complex governing arrangements, there are currently three categories of minister: ministers in Cabinet, ministers outside Cabinet, and ministers from supporting parties. The Executive Council, established under the Letters Patent 1983 ,

4500-482: The importance of their portfolio and their personal standing with the prime minister". The deputy prime minister is the second-highest ranked, after the prime minister. Under MMP, there are typically three categories of minister: ministers within the 'core' Cabinet, ministers outside Cabinet, and ministers from support parties (i.e. minor parties which have agreed to support a government party during confidence and supply votes). The size of Cabinet has grown over time. In

4575-443: The issues Cabinet chooses to look at. The final principle is confidence , where Cabinet and executive government must have the confidence of the House of Representatives. If there is no government, the governor-general has the ability to intervene to find a government that does have confidence. Formally all ministers are equals and may not command or be commanded by a fellow minister. Constitutional practice does, however, dictate that

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4650-438: The larger Cabinet, consisting of a number of ministers who have responsibility in related areas of policy. Cabinet committees go into considerably more detail than can be achieved at regular Cabinet meetings, discussing issues which do not need the input of ministers holding unrelated portfolios. Committee terms of reference and membership are determined by the prime minister and the exact number and makeup of committees changes with

4725-700: The major governing party, as has been the case in recent governments. Ministers outside the Cabinet have the same overall duties and responsibilities as their senior colleagues inside Cabinet. The current ministry , since November 2023, is the National Party government led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon , forming a coalition with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First . The table below lists all ministers, as of 25 June 2024 . Notes New Zealand's public service includes 32 core government institutions—most have ministry or department in their name, e.g. Ministry for Culture and Heritage , or Department of Internal Affairs —which are listed in

4800-408: The negotiation and ratification of treaties, alliances, international agreements, the right to declare war and peace , and the deployment and armament of defence forces. The king rarely personally exercises his executive powers; since the sovereign does not normally reside in New Zealand, he appoints a governor-general to represent him and exercise most of his powers. The person who fills this role

4875-429: The others in an arrangement described as " separation of powers ". More commonly, the term is used to refer specifically to the executive branch. The largest party or coalition in the House of Representatives, with a sufficient number of MPs to win crucial parliamentary votes, will form a Cabinet —this is the sense intended when it is said that a political party "forms the government". The Constitution Act 1986 ,

4950-433: The party vote or won one electorate seat. The increased representation resulted in the need to form coalitions between parties, as no single party received a majority of votes and seats under MMP until 2020. In order to govern in a coalition under MMP, it is likely that a major party will have to relinquish and offer Cabinet positions to members of a minority party. The aftermath of the first MMP election in 1996 highlighted

5025-451: The period in which responsible government begins; and the third period starting with the formation of political parties in 1891. By convention, a distinct government is named after the largest party that leads it. The New Zealand Government is formally styled [His] Majesty's Government in the Seal of New Zealand Act 1977 . This is a reference to the monarch, King Charles III , who

5100-550: The person who commands the confidence of the majority of members in the House of Representatives. The position is determined also by several other factors, such as support agreements between parties and internal leadership votes in the party that leads the Government. The prime minister and other ministers are formally appointed by the governor-general (who is the King's personal representative in New Zealand). By convention,

5175-487: The prime minister is primus inter pares , meaning 'first among equals'. Problems arise when the prime minister breaches collective responsibility. Since ministerial appointments and dismissals are in practice in the hands of the prime minister, Cabinet can not directly initiate any action against a prime minister who openly disagrees with their government's policy. On the other hand, a prime minister who tries to act against concerted opposition from their Cabinet risks losing

5250-432: The prime minister or, in the prime minister's absence, the next most senior minister in attendance, usually the deputy prime minister. Ministers outside Cabinet may occasionally be invited for the discussion of particular items with which they have been closely involved. All Cabinet meetings are held behind closed doors, and the minutes are taken by the Cabinet secretary and kept confidential. However, usually shortly after

5325-405: The prime minister recommends it), except for the prime minister, who is entitled to be styled " The Right Honourable " for life. Although not a member of the Executive Council, the governor-general usually presides at Council meetings. Cabinet ( Māori : Te Rūnanga ) is the senior decision-making body of the Government. Constitutional law, such as the Constitution Act 1986, does not recognise

5400-550: The prime minister who is accorded the style " The Right Honourable " ("The Rt. Hon."). Previously, several senior ministers used "The Right Honourable" by virtue of membership of the Privy Council before appointments were discontinued in 2000. Currently, Winston Peters retains this style due to his appointment as a member of the Privy Council in 1998. The current ministry has a Cabinet of 20 ministers: 14 from

5475-411: The principal part of New Zealand's constitution, locates the executive government in the Executive Council , which also includes ministers outside Cabinet. The Executive Wing of Parliament Buildings , commonly called the " Beehive " because of the building's shape, houses many government offices and is also where the Cabinet meets. Thus the name Beehive is sometimes used metonymically to refer to

5550-402: The warrant is directed, and the signature of the magistrate. Warrants may also be issued by other government entities, including legislatures , since most have the power to compel the attendance of their members. When a legislature issues a warrant, it is called a call of the house . The person being investigated, arrested, or having their property seized, pursuant to a warrant is given

5625-405: The weekly meeting the prime minister holds a press conference to discuss important national issues. The Cabinet secretary and their deputy are the only non-ministers who attend Cabinet meetings. They are not political appointments and their role at Cabinet meetings is to formulate and record the Cabinet's decisions and advise on procedure, not to offer policy advice. The secretary has a dual role as

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