Munro Church Communications

1. Official Name: Munro Church Communications Limited[21].

2. Business Registration: New Zealand Limited Company (Company No. 1719474; NZBN 9429034458341) – Status: Registered (active)[21]. Incorporated on 10 November 2005[21].

3. Registered Address: 8A Lyall Parade, Lyall Bay, Wellington 6022, New Zealand (current physical/registered office)[21]. (Previously the firm’s office was in central Wellington at 322/28 Waterloo Quay until August 2021[21].)

4. Founders / Directors: Michael James (Mike) Munro and Heather Margaret Church (both appointed as directors on 10 Nov 2005)[23]. They are the sole directors and co-owners.

5. Ownership Structure: Privately held. Munro and Church each hold 50% of the shares (25 shares each)[23]. There are no other known shareholders or parent companies.

6. Key Principal 1 – Mike Munro: Mike Munro (Director) is a former journalist and veteran political advisor. He served for roughly nine years as Chief Press Secretary to Prime Minister Helen Clark (leaving that role after the 2005 general election)[64][71]. He spent about a decade prior in journalism – including as political editor of The Dominion newspaper – and was a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery during roughly half of his 20-year media career[72][74]. After departing Clark’s office, Munro held senior communication roles in government and industry: he was Director of Communications at the New Zealand Treasury (c.2009–2011)[12] and then Head of Corporate Affairs at Todd Corporation (2011–2015)[11]. Munro later returned to government as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for 18 months (2018–2019)[13][29]. He is widely regarded as a “safe pair of hands” in Wellington circles, known for a low-key, honest style of media management[70]. Munro co-founded Munro Church Communications in 2005 upon leaving Clark’s staff[62] and remains its leading consultant, specialising in government relations, strategic media advice and issues management[24].

7. Key Principal 2 – Heather Church: Heather Church (Director) is a former journalist and communications specialist. Earlier in her career she was a producer at Radio New Zealand – notably producing Kim Hill’s programme on RNZ National[70]. In the 2010s Church transitioned into communications recruitment, working for approximately seven years as a Principal Consultant at JacksonStone & Partners (a Wellington executive recruitment firm) where she focused on placing communications and public affairs professionals[53]. She left that role in 2021, at which point she became more directly involved in Munro Church Communications as a full-time director/consultant[33]. Church’s background in media and her extensive industry contacts complement Munro’s political experience. She keeps a lower public profile, but is an equal co-owner of the firm and provides strategic communications advice and government relations insight alongside Munro[33].

8. Additional Staff or Associates: Data Not Found. There is no evidence of permanent staff beyond the two principals. The company does not publicly list any employees or associates apart from Munro and Church. (Notably, Munro has an affiliation as an independent contractor to another lobbying firm, Capital Government Relations, but he operates in that capacity through Munro Church Communications rather than as a formal Capital employee[41][37].)

9. Services and Activities: Lobbying and communications consulting. Munro Church Communications offers government relations counsel, political lobbying, strategic communication planning, media relations, and issues management for clients[24]. The firm’s industry classification is “Public Affairs Consultant Service”[21]. Its principals leverage their political and media expertise to influence policy, craft messaging, and connect clients with decision-makers. The consultancy specialises in navigating Wellington’s government and public sector environment, including handling sensitive political issues and media strategy[24].

10. Clientele: Data Not Found (Opaque). The company does not disclose its client list publicly. No website or reports list who Munro Church represents. This lack of transparency is typical of such consultancies. However, limited public information points to certain engagements:

    • Guardians of NZ Superannuation (NZ Super Fund): Official records show Munro Church Communications was contracted in late 2021 to mid-2022 to provide “stakeholder relations” advice on an investment transaction, for a fee of NZ$29,400[60]. (This indicates the NZ Super Fund – a government entity – hired the firm for communications around a deal.)

    • Corporate Clients: Through Mike Munro’s collaboration with Capital Government Relations, the firm has indirectly worked on behalf of large corporate clients. For example, Capital’s lobbyists (including Munro) have represented big technology companies like Google and Mega in seeking policy changes or information from ministers[52]. Capital’s team has also lobbied for industries such as natural health products and big pharma[50][52]. Munro’s specific focus via Capital has been on energy-sector clients[37] – likely drawing on his Todd Corporation oil/gas experience – though specific company names are not public.

    • Other Possible Clients: Given Munro’s past roles, it is speculated the firm may advise energy and resource companies (Todd Corporation is a possible example, though if so, it would be via private arrangement after Munro’s 2015 departure – not publicly confirmed). The firm’s skillset in political strategy also suggests it may assist industry associations or companies facing regulatory issues. Without disclosure, the full client roster remains unknown.[52][49]

11. Known Government Contracts: Yes (limited). As noted, the NZ Super Fund engagement in 2021–22 is a confirmed public contract[60]. Aside from that, no comprehensive list of government or public-sector contracts with Munro Church is available. The consultancy’s work for state agencies (if any beyond NZSF) is typically not publicly reported. It is possible the firm has quietly advised other departments or local governments on communications strategy, but no official data is published.

12. Political Affiliations: Informal ties to Labour Party. Neither the company nor its directors hold any formal office within a political party. However, Mike Munro is a longtime Labour Party insider by virtue of his roles for two Labour Prime Ministers[29]. He is known to be politically aligned with Labour’s ideals (he later even authored opinion pieces from a pro-Labour perspective[13]), though he has not publicly declared party membership. Heather Church does not have public partisan affiliations, and her career in journalism required political neutrality. In practice, the firm’s network and sympathies lean heavily Labour – its value to clients has been its principals’ access to past Labour Governments. That said, Munro Church is a private entity and could, in theory, work with any political stripe. There is no record of it being overtly involved in party politics or election campaigns.

13. Industry and Corporate Networks: Both principals are well-connected in Wellington’s government and business circles. Munro’s stint in the Treasury and at Todd Corporation gave him relationships in the public service and corporate sector[12][56]. Church’s recruitment work connected her with a wide range of organisations seeking communications staff (corporate, NGOs, government agencies)[53]. These networks likely feed into the firm’s client base and influence. For example, Munro’s role at Todd meant he interacted with the energy industry and senior ministers (Todd Corp engaged with government on policy issues, including making political donations which Munro as corporate affairs chief spoke to media about[56]). Such connections blur into the firm’s lobbying efforts, as clients benefit from Munro and Church’s personal contacts across news media, government departments, and boardrooms.

14. Alliances and Partnerships: Capital Government Relations – key alliance. Munro Church Communications has an informal partnership with Capital Government Relations Limited, the high-profile lobbying firm founded by Neale Jones (former Chief of Staff to Ardern). Mike Munro works with Capital as a contracted Strategic Advisor[41]. Indeed, Capital’s public materials list “Mike Munro – Senior Consultant” with contact details via Munro Church Communications[41]. In practice, this means Munro Church often collaborates on Capital’s client engagements. Capital hired Munro (and other ex-Labour staffers like Clint Smith and Mike Jaspers) specifically to tap their political influence[71]. This alliance greatly extends Munro Church’s reach: through Capital, Munro has been involved in servicing major corporate clients and adapting to political shifts (e.g. providing insider access to Labour during its term, and now bolstering Capital’s multi-party lobbying team after the 2023 change of government)[49][71]. Munro Church remains a separate legal entity, but the close relationship with Capital is a notable feature of its operations.

15. Transparency and Disclosures: Minimal. Munro Church Communications operates with deliberate opacity. It has no website or social media presence[23]. The firm does not publish any reports or registries of its lobbying activities. In official company filings, a personal email (Heather Church’s former JacksonStone address) was once listed as a contact, indicating no dedicated public contact portal[23]. New Zealand’s lack of a mandatory lobbying register enables the company to work entirely behind closed doors. The public and even officials have virtually no proactive disclosure of Munro Church’s clients or assignments. This absence of transparency has been noted by observers as a common trait among Wellington lobbying outfits[49].

16. Political Donations: Data Not Found / None. Munro Church Communications Ltd itself has made no declared donations to any political party (there are no records in Electoral Commission disclosures of any contributions by the company). Likewise, neither Munro nor Church is publicly recorded as a major donor to political campaigns[55]. Their influence is exercised through personal networks rather than financial patronage. (Notably, when Mike Munro was at Todd Corporation, the company donated large sums to political parties – $50,000 each to National and Labour in 2011 – but those donations came from Todd Corp, with Munro acting as company spokesman explaining the “desire to contribute to the democratic process”[56]. There is no indication Munro Church Communications has ever donated in its own right.)

17. Controversies: Revolving-door lobbying & opacity. The firm and its principals have attracted criticism as examples of New Zealand’s “opaque” lobbying culture. Mike Munro’s trajectory – from senior government office to private lobbying – has been cited in media commentary about the “revolving door” between the Beehive and lobbying firms[71]. Alongside other former Chiefs of Staff (e.g. Neale Jones and GJ Thompson), Munro’s move into lobbying raised concerns about conflicts of interest and insider advantage[71][29]. While no scandal has personally tainted Munro, the structural issue of him leveraging recent government service for private clients has been highlighted by journalists and transparency advocates[49]. During his stint as Ardern’s Chief of Staff, he retained an ownership stake in Munro Church Communications (similar to how lobbyist GJ Thompson retained ties to his firm while in the Beehive)[29], a situation seen as a potential conflict (even though Munro took leave from private work). Additionally, the company’s secrecy around clients has been criticised as undermining democratic transparency – e.g. it became known only through an OIA leak that Capital/Munro were lobbying on behalf of tech companies, something not disclosed by the lobbyists themselves[52]. In summary, lack of transparency and the revolving door dynamic constitute the main controversies surrounding Munro Church Communications. There have been no known legal or regulatory violations by the firm, but its modus operandi is frequently cited as part of “NZ’s lax lobbying rules” problem[49].

18. Engagements with Public Bodies: Limited public record. Munro Church’s work often happens in the shadows, but there are a few instances of engagement on the public record. The NZ Super Fund contract in 2021–22 is one direct engagement with a public entity, as noted above[60]. Beyond that, Mike Munro’s influence has occasionally surfaced publicly in his capacity as a commentator or advisor: for example, he has appeared in media interviews (post-2020) giving political analysis as a former government insider[13][4]. However, the firm itself has not been identified as participating openly in parliamentary submissions, select committee hearings, or public consultations. If Munro or Church communicate with officials, it is done privately on behalf of clients. No entries for Munro Church appear in voluntary registers or transparency releases (reflecting the general absence of official lobbying disclosure in NZ).

19. Related Entities: Munro Church Communications had a short-lived sister company, Munro Church Investments Limited, incorporated in 2006 by Heather Church and Mike Munro[68]. That entity has since been removed from the register (it appears to have been a vehicle for personal investments or financial management, and was not an operating consultancy)[68]. Aside from that, neither principal is known to direct any other companies. Munro Church Communications remains the primary business through which Mike Munro and Heather Church conduct their professional activities.

20. Size and Financials: Data Not Found. No public financial information is available. Given it is a small private company (with two directors/consultants and no employees), one can infer its annual revenues are modest and project-based. The firm files annual returns as required[21], but NZ law does not require public disclosure of earnings for a small limited company. The scale of known contracts (e.g. a $29k fee from NZSF[60]) suggests the firm operates on a consultancy model, earning fees per project or retainer. Its influence, however, outweighs its size – a function of connections rather than capital.

21. Public Footprint: The firm keeps an intentionally low public profile. No website, no advertising, no press releases[23]. It does not issue statements in its own name. The principals’ public footprint comes through their personal roles: Mike Munro occasionally writes opinion columns (he has contributed as a columnist to the NZ Herald business section, for instance)[13] and speaks as an ex-government staffer on broadcast panels[4]. Heather Church’s public presence is minimal. The lack of a public-facing profile means the firm operates largely out of public view, known in Wellington circles but not to the general population.

Sources:

1. “Munro Church Communications Limited – business information,” BizDB (NZ Companies Office data), https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429034458341/

2. Mike Smith, “2017: Political Year in Prospect,” The Standard (NZ blog), 25 Jan 2017, https://thestandard.org.nz/2017-political-year-in-prospect/

3. Paula Oliver, “Clark’s spin doctor departs at a crucial time for Labour,” NZ Herald, 14 Jan 2007, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/clarks-spin-doctor-departs-at-a-crucial-time-for-labour/RODWH35PBXEWWBZUJ2QMI4RJCU/

4. Nick Venter, “Spinning to a different tune,” Dominion Post (Wellington), 29 Dec 2005, p. C1 (via National Library Index), https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21378070

5. “Appointment of Communications Manager – Media Statement,” The Treasury (NZ), 1 Dec 2011, https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/media-statement/appointment-communications-manager

6. Dene Mackenzie, “Greens reject Todd donation,” Otago Daily Times, 6 Oct 2011, https://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/greens-reject-todd-donation

7. Guyon Espiner, “How well-connected lobbyists ask for – and receive – urgent meetings, sensitive information and action on law changes for their corporate clients,” RNZ News (In-Depth), 5 Apr 2023, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/486527/how-well-connected-lobbyists-ask-for-and-receive-urgent-meetings-sensitive-information-and-action-on-law-changes-for-their-corporate-clients

8. Bryce Edwards, “Lobbyists Helping And Influencing The New National Government,” Scoop News, 21 Nov 2023, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2311/S00027/lobbyists-helping-and-influencing-the-new-national-government.htm

9. Asher Emanuel, “Conflict of interest concerns over lobbyist turned chief of Jacinda Ardern’s staff,” The Spinoff, 22 Feb 2018, https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/22-02-2018/conflict-of-interest-concerns-over-lobbyist-turned-chief-of-jacinda-arderns-staff

10. Claire Harvey, “In the election spin cycle,” NZ Herald, 9 July 2002 (retrieved via nzherald.co.nz), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/in-the-election-spin-cycle/VM7E3MWRRL2NRLLLDAEMKZ23JA/

11. “Mike Munro – Capital (Our Team bio snippet),” Capital Government Relations (capitalnz.com), (accessed via web cache).

12. “Contact – Capital Government Relations (staff contacts page),” CapitalNZ.com, (accessed via Bing cache) – listing Mike Munro as Senior Consultant (independent contractor) with phone number.

13. Mike Munro, “Full credit to the Labour team – they chalked up their share of wins,” NZ Herald, 26 Oct 2023, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mike-munro-full-credit-to-the-labour-team-they-chalked-up-their-share-of-wins/J2V5QNFYUBG5HBK3OXFH6MZMLE/

14. “Capital Government Relations – Staff & Controversies,” Democracy Project by Bryce Edwards (Substack), 13 Oct 2023, democracyproject.substack.com (profile listing staff including Mike Munro; noting no declared political donations).

15. “Combined Appendices – Guardians of NZ Superannuation Annual Review 2021-22,” NZ Super Fund (Official Information), released Nov 2022, nzsuperfund.nz (Appendix A, p.50: listing Munro Church Communications contract and fee)[60].

16. Guyon Espiner, “Political Roundup: The Government’s revolving door for lobbyists,” Democracy Project (via Substack), 8 Dec 2022, https://democracyproject.substack.com/p/political-roundup-the-governments-revolving-door (citing movement of Munro and others between Beehive and lobbying).

17. “CHURCH, Heather Margaret – Company Director Search,” NZWAO.com (New Zealand Company Directory), accessed Nov 2023, https://www.nzwao.com/dir/Heather-Margaret-CHURCH (noting directorship of Munro Church Investments Ltd, etc.).

18. Newstalk ZB Staff, “A transition of political power: Former Labour Chief of Staff explains the handover,” Newstalk ZB, 13 Oct 2023 (interview with Mike Munro on change of government), https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/mike-munro-former-labour-chief-of-staff-explains-the-transition-of-political-power/

19. Jennifer Lees-Marshment, “Marketing After the Election: The Potential and Limitations of Maintaining a Market Orientation in New Zealand Politics,” Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol. 32, 2007 (mentions Mike Munro’s resignation in 2005 and its impact on Helen Clark)[63].

20. Richard Griffin & Audrey Young, “The impact of spin stops here,” NZ Herald, 23 July 2007, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-impact-of-spin-stops-here/Q35IS3CXME7X5AOO5WA7K5G2CQ/ (quotes Mike Munro on differences between NZ and UK political communications).

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz