Air Travel
Rich Seager (Account suspended) made this Official Information request to Jan Logie
The request was refused by Jan Logie.
From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Dear Jan Logie,
I’m sure that as a Green Minister that you realize that per trip, flying is one of the most efficient ways that a person can commit to increasing their own CO2 emissions. For example one trip from Auckland or Wellington to London or New York is likely to contribute anything up to 10 tonnes (or more?) per person of equivalent CO2 emissions, for example see;
https://www.newscientist.com/article/220...
In some instances just one trip may be more than the remainder of a person's total non air travel annual CO2 (and other greenhouse) emissions.
With that in mind I request from you the total (nautical) miles/kilometres that you flew in the Calendar year 2018 for;
* Total Domestic nautical miles or kilometres reclaimable travel as an MP & total one way trips
* Total Domestic nautical miles or kilometres for private travel & total one way trips
* Total International nautical miles or kilometres reclaimable travel as an MP & total one way trips
*Total International nautical miles or kilometres for private travel & total one way trips
Please outline whether travel was in economy, business or first class.
I don't expect you to be exact, you don't have to ask the airlines for this information. I'm happy if you use an air miles/kilometres calculator for this, or even if you detail the trips without adding up the actual miles/kilometres.
I only want your own air miles/kilometres. I'm not interested in others who may have been traveling with you.
Yours faithfully,
Rich Seager
Jan Logie
Kia ora,
Thank you for contacting Jan Logie, Under-Secretary to the Minister of
Justice (Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues) and Green Party of Aotearoa
New Zealand MP.
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Ngâ mihi
Office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice
(Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues)
Jan Logie, MP
Authorised by Jan Logie MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
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From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Dear Jan Logie,
just to be clear, my meaning of 'one way trips' would classify a return trip as two 'one way trips'.
Yours faithfully,
Rich Seager
From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Dear Jan Logie,
the link in my OIA request is to the wrong article. Here is the correct link to a newscientist article about planes, not one about dogs.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/220...
Yours faithfully,
Rich Seager
From: Heather McDonald
Jan Logie
8 August 2019
Rich Seager [1][FOI #10866 email]
Dear Rich
Official information request for Flight miles/kilometres
Good morning,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request.
We received your request on 2nd August. We will endeavour to respond to
your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 30 August,
being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are
unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an
extension of that timeframe.
Your request is being handled by me. If you have any queries, please feel
free to contact me at [2][email address] . If any
additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request,
please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into
account.
Yours sincerely,
Ngā mihi
Nā Heather
[3]Crest Heather McDonald | Senior Ministerial Advisor
Office of Jan Logie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice
(Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues)
6.29 (Suite 6.L) Bowen House, Parliament Buildings, 80 Lambton
Quay | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
P: 04 817 6196 M: 021 995 272 E:
[4][email address] Ministerial Email
[5][email address]
Authorised by Jan Logie MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
This email communication is confidential between the sender and
the recipient. The intended recipient may not distribute it
without the permission of the sender. If this email is received
in error, it remains confidential and you may not copy, retain or
distribute it in any manner. Please notify the sender immediately
and erase all copies of the message and all attachments. Thank
you.
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From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Thanks Heather. I look forward to receiving the information.
Regards
Rich Seager
From: Heather McDonald
Jan Logie
Kia ora Rich,
Please find attached the Under-Secretaries response to you Official Information Act request.
Ngā mihi
Na Heather
-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Seager [mailto:[FOI #10866 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 8 August 2019 7:07 PM
To: Heather McDonald <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information Request
Thanks Heather. I look forward to receiving the information.
Regards
Rich Seager
-----Original Message-----
8 August 2019
Rich Seager [1][FOI #10866 email]
Dear Rich
Official information request for Flight miles/kilometres
Good morning,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request.
We received your request on 2nd August. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 30 August, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
Your request is being handled by me. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me at [2][email address] . If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into account.
Yours sincerely,
Ngā mihi
Nā Heather
[3]Crest Heather McDonald | Senior Ministerial Advisor
Office of Jan Logie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice (Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues)
6.29 (Suite 6.L) Bowen House, Parliament Buildings, 80 Lambton Quay | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
P: 04 817 6196 M: 021 995 272 E:
[4][email address] Ministerial Email
[5][email address]
Authorised by Jan Logie MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
This email communication is confidential between the sender and the recipient. The intended recipient may not distribute it without the permission of the sender. If this email is received in error, it remains confidential and you may not copy, retain or distribute it in any manner. Please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of the message and all attachments. Thank you.
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2. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
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From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Hi Heather,
although the speed of the reply is appreciated as it is that an attempt was made I feel that the reply is completely lacking in what I would consider an adequate level of transparency on the issue of air travel. So I've marked it 'refused' as the following were ignored;
* full disclosure of all business travel, definitely as applied to domestic travel and possibly international as well.
* no private travel was indicated.
* the class of the travel was not indicated (which impacts on total emissions caused as a result of the travel).
I certainly am not going to criticize a trip to the UN for a conference on climate change or no climate change. But a recent study of Oslo residents indicated that up to 75% of their yearly total travel budget could be allocated to holidays abroad, almost exclusively by plane.
I am also of the view that 'offsets' may assuage some guilt but they don't have any practical value.
And of course some travel in New Zealand for an MP will of necessity have to be done by air. But I believe that all MPs and especially Green MPs should be making an effort to keep these to a minimum and make a big deal of the alternatives that are currently there. Some shorter trips currently done by plane could in fact be done by electric car without causing much more travel time or inconvenience.
And as you mentioned it I love the idea of a fast train. In fact I'd like several of them. My personal favourite would be for one that loops from Christchurch down to Queenstown & Invercargill and back up to Christchurch via Dunedin.
Ngā mihi
Rich Seager
From: Rich Seager (Account suspended)
Dear Heather/Jan,
btw that train could double as an airport train. One airport for lakes/Invercargill/Dunedin is possible if based somewhere north of Gore and with fast train connections to get people to those places.
We need some airport consolidation in this country, to bring down emissions. Ideally aiming for replacement by train on as many routes as possible.
Norway with similar topography and population has a far better train system than we do.
Yours sincerely,
Rich Seager
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