Marina Matthews

CEO, The Superdiversity Institute

Marina has significant Parliamentary experience and has been a specialist advisor to several Education Ministers. She has experience in a range of public policy processes including the preparation of Cabinet papers, briefing Ministers, and preparing for Select Committees.

Marina has over fourteen years experience providing legal and public policy advice on a range of issues.

Marina has a LLB and Diploma for Graduates in Arts from the University of Otago, and was admitted to the Bar in 2002. Marina joined the public service, firstly with the Transition Tertiary Education Commission, then the Tertiary Education Commission. She was seconded to Parliament as the tertiary education private secretary for four senior Ministers of the Crown. She then moved back to the Tertiary Education Commission as a Senior Manager.

In private practice, Marina has significant experience in advising institutes of technology and polytechnics, industry training organisations, universities, wananga and private training establishments as well as early childhood education services, schools and students’ associations.

Marina’s areas of expertise include:

  • Education statutory, regulatory and funding requirements for the early childhood, schooling, tertiary education sectors;
  • International education and immigration issues;
  • Maori medium education requirements including kohanga reo, kura kaupapa and wananga;
  • Public policy frameworks and machinery of government processes;
  • Official Information and other parliamentary information; and
  • Government relations.

During her time at Chen Palmer, Marina has been involved in:

  • Advising on government contracting, funding arrangements and quality assurance processes for businesses and education organisations;
  • Assisting organisations with the preparation of successful applications for funding from government departments including the Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and Ministry of Education;
  • Advising maori medium education organisations on statutory, regulatory and policy frameworks;
  • Assisting organisations with government compliance and monitoring requirements including reviews by the New Zealand Qualification Authority, Nursing Council of New Zealand, New Zealand Teachers Council and the Education Review Office;
  • Advising primary schools on the implementation of National Standards;
  • Advising education organisations on statutory crown interventions;
  • Drafting submissions on behalf of organisations for Government and Select Committee consultations;
  • Providing training sessions and seminars to businesses and organisations on how to engage with government, stakeholders and media to successfully inform policy;
  • Advising Crown Entities and other organisations on machinery of government policies and models;
  • Assisting business and organisations on briefings for Ministers, Select Committee, Members of Parliament; and
  • Chairing political panels at conferences for sector organisations.

Marina is passionate about helping organisations understand how Government and public policy works so they can maximise their business. She enjoys translating “Wellington” speak for clients, and introducing Government to great opportunities with business.

Marina is also a member of the Australia New Zealand Education Law Association (NZ Chapter) committee.