Simeon Brown appointed prominent oil and gas lobbyist against official advice

Posted: 06 Mar 2025

A top government minister personally added a fossil fuel lobbyist to the shortlist of candidates to help govern the country's main energy-saving agency.

Simeon Brown then overrode official advice to appoint the lobbyist to the role.

The former Energy Minister put John Carnegie on the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) in December, despite Carnegie not making the cut during interviews.

Read more on RNZ.