Valerie Morse
[FYI request #13110 email]
13 October 2020
Dear Valerie Morse
RE: OIA 2019-20-18 NZTE Engagement with NZDIA
Thank you for your email of Friday 3 July requesting the following information:
1. Any information about the NZTE relationship with the New Zealand Defence Industry
Association from 2017-2020.
2. Any information about overseas defence industry conferences where NZTE had
speaking engagements or operated/shared trade booths, including but not limited to, the
Land Forces Australia, CANSEC or IMDEX Asia conferences.
As previously provided, below is a brief summary in answer to Question One and Two to
give context while we continue to prepare information for release.
Question One: As an industry body, NZDIA is an organisation which facilities networking
throughout the sector. NZTE regularly engages with industry bodies across the breadth of
New Zealand’s business sectors. By working with these organisations NZTE can connect
with a range of New Zealand exporters.
NZTE is not a member of NZDIA and does not fund them. NZTE employees have at ended
NZDIA members meetings and presented at NZDIA events. These presentations have been
on the topic of the challenges and opportunities in the international defence sector. NZTE
developed and delivered a New Zealand Stand at Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019.
NZDIA purchased space on this stand.
Question Two: The only conferences where NZTE had a speaking engagement or booth
were Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019. As mentioned above, NZTE developed and
delivered a New Zealand stand at these conferences. While attendance at Land Forces
2020 was planned for, these plans have been put on hold due to COVID-19 and the
deferment of that conference. NZTE activities taken at Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019
included hosting networking functions and facilitating introductions to potential business
partners.
As stated in our previous email correspondence from 11 September, NZTE has been
identifying and compiling information within scope of your above requests. The information
you have requested when compiled is over 1000 pages. Attached as Appendix One and
Appendix Two, the first tranche of emails is 245 pages. We have compiled these into two
documents and have grouped emails into email chains for ease of reading and to remove
unnecessary duplication. Some duplicates have been maintained in instances wherein their
exclusion would have made an email responding or forwarding unclear. They have been
organised chronologically from date of last email, most recent to oldest. Any attachments to
emails are attached in their place in the thread.
After weighing against public interest, we have chosen to redact some information on the
following grounds:
• Section 6(a): prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international
relations of the Government of New Zealand.
• Section 9(2)(a): protect the privacy of natural persons.
• Section 9(2)(b)(i ): unreasonably prejudice a commercial position.
• Section 9(g)(i): maintain the effective conductive public affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions between officials in the course of their duty.
• Section 9(g)(i ) the protection of members of an organisation from improper pressure
or harassment
• Section 9(2)(k): prevent the disclosure of of icial information for improper gain.
Please note that information regarding Question Two is largely captured in Question One. In
this first tranche, you wil see that they include the beginnings of organising attendance at
Land Forces 2018. More information wil be included in the following tranches.
The next tranche of approximately 200 pages will be provided to you no later than 6
November.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Melissa Trochon
Director – Board and Ministerial
Encl List documents enclosed
Appendix One: Tranche One - Correspondence between NZTE and NZDIA – Part One
Appendix Two: Tranche One - Correspondence between NZTE and NZDIA – Part Two