Dear correspondent

On behalf of Rt Hon Winston Peters, thank you for your email.

While the Deputy Prime Minister considers all correspondence to be
important and all messages are carefully read and considered, it is not
possible to provide a personal response to every email which is received.

Where the Deputy Prime Minister has portfolio responsibility for the
issues that you have raised, your correspondence will be considered and
responded to where appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to write.

(Please note that this acknowledgement is an automatically generated
email.)

Regards
Office of Rt Hon Winston Peters

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Dear Lance O'Riley,

 

On behalf of Rt Hon Winston Peters, your Official Information Act request
dated 19 February 2020 is acknowledged:

 

“I would like to request the following information.  This relates
primarily in relation to your statement to Peter Williams.

 

"Look, Mr Williams, I know that, we took the photograph just to prove
that's the behaviour going on,"

 

(1) Given your role as the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand,  Did
yourself or anyone under your responsibility have any role in taking the
photographs of Lester Grey or journalists he was allegedly meeting with
regardless of the capacity to which the person was acting.

 

(2) Any communications or emails which specifically refer to or mention
the photograph taken which have been sent to or from your ministerial
email address, or any email address which is or has been used for
ministerial purposes.  For this part of the question you are of course
free to redact the names of persons sending or receiving emails, so long
as such a redaction is required under law.

 

Given your statement clearly implies that you or someone to which you hold
a personal relationship had a role in taking these photographs and the
implications this holds for the freedom of press in this country I am
confident you will release this information at the soonest possible time.”

 

The Minister is considering your request in accordance with the Act and
will respond in due course.

 

Regards,

Louis Grainger

 

Louis Grainger l Ministerial Advisor l Office of Rt Hon Winston Peters

Deputy Prime Minister | Leader of New Zealand First | Minister of Foreign
Affairs

Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control | Minister for State Owned
Enterprises | Minister for Racing

7.4 Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, 6160  Wellington l
[1]www.beehive.govt.nz

 

show quoted sections

Dear Lance O’Riley

 

Please find attached a response to your Official Information Act request,
received 19 February 2020.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Office of Rt Hon Winston Peters

Deputy Prime Minister | Leader of New Zealand First | Minister of Foreign
Affairs | Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control | Minister for State
Owned Enterprises | Minister for Racing

L7.4 Executive Wing | Parliament Buildings | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand

 

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