The National Party staffer at the centre of the Z Energy and Fonterra climate lobbying debacle has been identified as Christopher Luxon’s former chief policy adviser.
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick asked in the House whether Luxon can confirm the person who received the document was his chief policy adviser.
Swarbrick did not name the adviser.
However, Matt Burgess, a former economist at The New Zealand Initiative, held that role at the time in question.
The Herald understands he left the role in October last year.
Burgess was named in a report from The Post, citing political sources, as the staffer who received hand-delivered corporate briefing notes from Z Energy and Fonterra in mid-2024.
The notes were not disclosed when requested by environmental groups under the Official Information Act in March 2025.
Luxon’s office initially said it hadn’t been aware of any meeting between staff and the two companies or any record of receiving a briefing note.
However, it later confirmed the document had been handed to a staffer, but there was “no record or recollection of that interaction”.
Luxon told the House yesterday the staffer involved had “left a while ago”.
The Herald contacted Burgess, who said “I have nothing to add”.
Matt Burgess is a former economist at The New Zealand Initiative. Photo / Supplied
The document, which came to light this month through a discovery process in the High Court, was prepared as part of climate activist Mike Smith’s case in which he was suing emitters over their emissions.
The document contained a potential amendment to climate law to “resolve the uncertainty and risks posed by private law claims like Mr Smith’s”.
Earlier this month, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced an amendment “to prevent findings of liability for tort for climate change damage or harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions in both current and future proceedings before the courts”.
The Prime Minister said it was a Cabinet decision to amend the climate law and “there are many ministers who felt very strongly about this situation”.
Luxon refused to confirm Burgess’ identity, when asked by reporters as he walked to the House this afternoon.
“I am not going to go into names, as I said yesterday, I don’t think it is appropriate. But the staff member hasn’t worked here for a while.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arriving for the post-Cabinet press conference with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Green Party: Govt ‘pimping for corporates’
Swarbrick claimed Luxon and his office were involved in an “alleged cover-up”.
“I’m implying, suggesting or making it crystal clear and black and white that it feels very uncredible for a Prime Minister not to know that his chief policy adviser was meeting with the largest company in this country.
“It is an alleged cover up. As long as there is not clear information in the public arena about what is going on, the allegations stand.
“And actually, it is incumbent on the Prime Minister to be clear on what he knew and when.”
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the Government was “pimping for corporate then trying to deny what’s going on”.
“Let’s have a big look at who this Government cares about, you are looking at documents that they are covering up because they are pimping for corporates,” she said.
Luxon said he had asked Ministerial Services – which employs staff – to “remind all staff of their obligations about record keeping”.
The Office of the Ombudsman has since launched an investigation into the handling of information by the Prime Minister’s office.
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
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