Implementing Recommendation 1 of the Operation Burnham Inquiry Report: Appointment of the Expert Review Group and Terms of Reference

17/12/2020 Audits, Assessments and Evaluations, Response to an Official Information Act request, Cabinet material

This publication provides documents on Cabinet’s October 2020 decision to establish an Expert Review Group to consider the matters contained in recommendation 1 of the Report of the Government Inquiry into Operation Burnham and related matters.

Cover image ERG Cab paper
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[CAB-20-MIN-0458], [CAB-20-SUB-0458]

Implementing Recommendation 1 of the Operation Burnham Inquiry Report: Appointment of the Expert Review Group and Terms of Reference
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17 Dec 2020
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It comprises:

  • the Cabinet minute of decision: Expert Review Group for Recommendation 1 of the Operation Burnham Inquiry Report: Appointments and Terms of Reference [CAB-20-MIN-0458]

  • the Cabinet paper: Implementing Recommendation 1 of the Operation Burnham Inquiry Report: Appointment of the Expert Review Group and Terms of Reference [CAB-20-SUB-0458].

The Expert Review Group (ERG) comprises:

  • Lyn Provost (Chair), former Controller and Auditor-General, former Deputy Chief Executive of the New Zealand Police, and former Acting Chief Executive of Archives New Zealand
  • Simon Murdoch, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and former Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Tony Lynch, Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and former Deputy Secretary of Defence
  • Richard Foy, former Chief Archivist, Department of Internal Affairs
  • Carol Douglass, Deputy Secretary Governance, People and Executive Services, Ministry of Defence
  • Brigadier Hugh McAslan, NZDF senior military officer.

The ERG is also supported by two international advisers. Dennis Richardson, former Secretary of Defence and former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, is the international civilian advisor. Air Marshal (retired) Philip Osborn, Royal Air Force, a previous Chief of Defence Intelligence in the United Kingdom, is the international military adviser.

The ERG will present a report on their findings to the Minister of Defence by June 2021.

Although appointment Cabinet papers are not normally released, the Ministry is doing so in this instance as there is significant public interest in the response to the Government Inquiry into Operation Burnham.

The Terms of Reference for the ERG are available here(external link).

Information about making an Official Information Act request to the Ministry of Defence is available from this page.

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