Internal Affairs is where trust in government becomes practical: proving who we are, recording major life events, protecting public information and ensuring essential institutions work fairly.
It is a wide national portfolio that reaches every community. Sarah’s priorities are services people can rely on, responsible digital government, transparent regulation and strong protection for the records and identity information held on behalf of New Zealanders.
The government people meet throughout life
The Department of Internal Affairs provides or oversees passports, citizenship, births, deaths and marriages, RealMe, charities services, community advice and grants, gambling regulation, digital safety, anti-money-laundering supervision, Archives New Zealand and the National Library.
These functions may appear unrelated, but they share a common purpose: maintaining reliable connections between people, communities and the state. A delayed identity document, inaccessible digital service, insecure database or unclear regulatory decision can have serious consequences for an individual, family, charity or business. See the Department of Internal Affairs’ current responsibilities.
Identity information requires exceptional care
Internal Affairs is the custodian of New Zealand’s most extensive public records relating to identity. Births, deaths, marriages, citizenship, passports and RealMe services must be accurate, secure and usable. Information sharing can improve services, but it must be authorised, limited to a clear purpose and subject to independent oversight.
People should be able to understand what information is held about them, why it is being used, who can access it and how to correct an error. Security and privacy must be designed into systems from the start rather than added after a failure. Internal Affairs explains its authorised information-matching responsibilities.
Digital government must remain human
Good digital services save time and make government easier to reach. They can be particularly valuable for people living far from a public office. But “digital first” cannot become “digital only”. Rural connectivity, disability, language, affordability and confidence all affect whether a person can use an online service successfully.
- Keep assisted and non-digital pathways for essential services.
- Design services around real users, including disabled, rural, older and multilingual New Zealanders.
- Measure whether people complete a service successfully, not simply whether an online form exists.
- Provide clear reasons and accessible review processes when applications or automated checks fail.
- Protect systems and records against misuse, loss and avoidable security risk.
Responsible use of AI and personal information
AI can help government process information, detect patterns and improve services. It can also produce errors, obscure accountability and affect people at scale. The Privacy Commissioner’s 2025 survey found that 62% of respondents were concerned about government agencies or businesses using AI to make decisions about them using personal information.
Innovation and privacy are not opposites. Responsible public-sector AI needs a lawful purpose, reliable information, privacy-by-design, testing for harmful bias, meaningful human accountability and an understandable route to challenge a decision. Read the Privacy Commissioner’s 2025 survey.
Regulation that protects without becoming arbitrary
Internal Affairs also regulates areas where poor conduct can cause significant harm, including gambling, digital safety, charities and parts of the anti-money-laundering system. Effective regulation should be consistent, proportionate and understandable. People and organisations need to know the rules, the evidence behind a decision and how to seek review.
Strong enforcement should focus on serious harm and deliberate non-compliance. Charities, community organisations and legitimate small businesses should have practical guidance and systems that make it easier to do the right thing.
Protecting New Zealand’s public memory
The Internal Affairs portfolio includes Archives New Zealand and the National Library. Their records and collections allow citizens, journalists, researchers, iwi, communities and future generations to understand decisions, trace histories and hold institutions accountable.
Digital records do not preserve themselves. New Zealand needs long-term stewardship, independent professional capability and public access that keeps pace with changing technology. Transparency depends not only on publishing information today, but on ensuring important records remain authentic and accessible tomorrow.
Trust grows when people have a voice
Public trust is strengthened when people can participate meaningfully and see how their contribution affected a decision. Opportunity’s Citizens’ Voice policy proposes representative citizens’ assemblies and an independent Parliamentary Commissioner to bring everyday New Zealanders into difficult, long-term decisions. These processes would complement—not replace—Parliament, councils, elections and the courts.
Sarah’s Internal Affairs test is simple: can people use the service, trust the information, understand the decision and hold the institution accountable? If not, the system needs to improve.
Opportunity’s published policy remains the authoritative source for detailed party positions.