Resource material › Our Policy Advice Areas › General Policy

The Identity and General Policy team is responsible for providing administrative and strategic policy advice to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Government for a number of different Acts. See also: Identity Policy.

• Legislation
• Bills before the House of Representatives

Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908

• This Act provides for the Government to establish commissions of inquiry into matters of public importance and provides commissions with the powers they may need to do their job
• The Act also extends these powers to Royal Commissions established under the Letters Patent
• A number of other enactments provide for bodies to have the powers of a commission of inquiry
• For guidelines and links to recent commissions, please see Commissions of Inquiry

Commonwealth Games Symbol Protection Act 1974

• This Act protects the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games Symbol from misuse and provides that the Minister of Internal Affairs must consent before the symbol can be used
• If you would like to use the symbol, please contact the Minister of Internal Affairs by writing freepost c/o Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Time Act 1974

• The Act specifies that New Zealand standard time is set 12 hours ahead of Universal Co-ordinated Time (often known as Greenwich Mean Time) and that the Chatham Islands is 45 minutes ahead of the rest of New Zealand
• The Act also provides the power to set a period of New Zealand daylight time, where clocks move forward one hour
• For more information, please see Daylight Saving

Inquiries Bill

• The Inquiries Bill will replace the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and will provide for government inquiries and public inquiries, and will provide the powers for Royal Commissions
• This Bill was recommended by the Law Commission. For the Law Commission’s report, please see the Law Commission's website