Advisory group 'over-catered' for $3200 morning tea, ‘probably had too many scones’, justice minister says

Friday, 5 December 2025

Paul Goldsmith announces changes allowing citizen's arrests for any Crimes Act violation, aiming to reduce retail crime. He says the moves give retailers new tools to protect their businesses.

A ministerial advisory group that spent $3200 on catering for a morning tea event “clearly over-catered” and “probably had too many scones”, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

The morning tea event was held by the advisory group for victims of retail crime, which is chaired by Sunny Kaushal, in February.

Labour MPs queried the catering costs at the justice committee during Parliament’s scrutiny week.

Goldsmith was questioned about it on Herald NOW on Friday morning.

Asked what he was having for morning tea, Goldsmith said he would be flying. “So I think I’ll get one of those little biscuits and a glass of water.”

It was suggested to Goldsmith that was what the advisory group should also have had for morning tea.

“They clearly over-catered and that was pretty bad, but I’m not going to get into the details of the catering of the retail advisory group,” Goldsmith said.

The morning tea event ‘probably had too many scones’, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said. (file pic)

“The focus is on giving me advice on how we can continue our very good progress at pushing back on the wall of crime that we inherited,” he said.

“Everybody has a crack at Sonny Kaushal about something every month, but he’s focused on doing that job.”

Sacking Kaushal because of the catering bill would probably be “a bit of an overreaction”, Goldsmith said.

“But no, I’m not going to defend $3000.”

Goldsmith said he wasn’t sgoing to defend spending more than $3000 for morning tea. (file pic)

At that point of the interview Goldsmith, who was appearing remotely from an outside location, ducked down below camera level.

Then he popped back up. “I lost my earpiece,” he said. “Sorry about that, what was the question?”

He was asked what was served at the morning tea. He said he didn’t know.

“I was there. I was speaking about our citizens’ arrest proposals, and I think they probably had too many scones,” Goldsmith said.

‘Those would be some amazing scones,’ Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said. (file pic)

“Very expensive scones,” interjected Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni, who was on the show at the same time as Goldsmith.

Asked the cost of the most expensive scone she had ever bought, Sepuloni said: “I certainly haven’t had morning tea where someone’s spent over $3000 on scones.

“Those would be some amazing scones.”

She thought the public would be questioning that amount of money being spent on a morning tea by a government that had talked about reining in spending.

Goldsmith said the advisory group had been “very productive”.

Asked if there would be consequences for the over-catering, Goldsmith said: “Yes.”

Then he added: “I should remind you that the money that they’re spending is money that has been taken off criminals under the Criminal Proceeds Act.

“We should be equally careful with that, but just remember it’s the criminals who are paying for this,” Goldsmith said.

Kaushal was quoted in The New Zealand Herald saying the morning tea was at a question-and-answer session with 80 stakeholders and ministers about citizens’ arrest proposals.

The cost included the event set-up and chair hire, he said.