Collective decision-making and responsibility

14. The Cabinet system of government is founded on the principle of collective responsibility. It reflects the democratic principle that the Parliament expresses its confidence in the collective whole-of-government rather than in individual ministers. Similarly, the Governor-General, in acting on ministerial advice, needs to be confident that individual ministers represent official government policy. In all areas of their work, ministers represent and implement government policy; policy which has often been considered and set by the Cabinet.
15. In practice this means that a decision of the Cabinet is binding on all members of the government, regardless of whether they were present when the decision was taken or their personal views.
16. All members of the Ministry are understood to have participated in the decision-making process that underpins government policy and therefore share responsibility for those policies. Cabinet principles and conventions apply to the whole Ministry, not simply those ministers in Cabinet.

Cabinet solidarity

17. Cabinet collective responsibility is most obviously expressed in the principle of Cabinet solidarity. Cabinet ministers must publicly support all decisions made by the Cabinet, even if they do not agree with them. Cabinet ministers cannot dissociate themselves from, or repudiate the decisions of, their Cabinet colleagues unless they resign from the Cabinet. It is the Prime Minister’s role as chair of the Cabinet, where necessary, to enforce Cabinet solidarity.

Cabinet confidentiality

18. The principle of collective responsibility requires that ministers should be able to express their views frankly in Cabinet meetings, in the expectation that they can argue freely in private while maintaining a united front in public when decisions have been reached. This in turn requires that opinions expressed in meetings of the Cabinet and committees, including in related documents and any correspondence, are treated as confidential.
19. All attendees are responsible for ensuring that discussions at Cabinet and committee meetings remain confidential. Ministers, staff and officials must not disclose the nature or content of the discussions or the views of individual ministers or officials expressed at meetings.
20. The express approval of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet is required for disclosure of Cabinet decisions or deliberations.
21. Ministers, their staff and officials must also not disclose proposals likely to be considered at forthcoming meetings outside Cabinet-approved consultation procedures. The express approval of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet is required for disclosure of Cabinet decisions or deliberations. Cabinet confidentiality must be maintained over any documents which reveal proposals, options or positions to be put forward in Cabinet.

Ministerial responsibility for proposals

22. Submissions coming before the Cabinet and committees must have a sponsoring minister. This is usually the Cabinet minister with portfolio responsibility.
23. Sponsoring ministers are expected to take full responsibility for the proposals they bring forward, even where detailed development or drafting may have been done on their behalf by officials.
24. More detail on ministerial responsibility is under the Sponsorship, co-sponsorship and development of submissions in consultation with other ministers section.