The briefing note was received by Matt Burgess, who served as chief policy adviser in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s office between January 2024 and October 2025. Burgess, previously a senior economist at the New Zealand Initiative think tank, reportedly received the material in hard copy. Luxon initially stated there was no record of the document on file, later confirming only that the staff member involved had “left a while ago.” Burgess declined to comment publicly on the matter.

The controversy escalated inside Parliament, where opposition parties pressed the government over whether senior officials had been involved in undisclosed meetings with large corporate emitters lobbying for favorable legislative change. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick and Labour leader Chris Hipkins questioned the Prime Minister over his awareness of the interactions and the timeline surrounding Burgess’ departure from the Prime Minister’s Office. Luxon repeatedly refused to discuss staffing matters or specify when he became aware of the briefing note.

Government ministers defended the handling of the issue, arguing it would be inappropriate to publicly identify individual staff members. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour raised concerns about parliamentary privilege being used to target officials unable to defend themselves publicly. However, opposition MPs maintained the issue centered on accountability within the Prime Minister’s office and the broader influence of corporate lobbying on climate legislation affecting New Zealand’s agricultural and energy sectors.