Managed Isolation Fee Increases for International Students

Sean Richards made this Official Information request to Chris Hipkins

The request was successful.

From: Sean Richards

Kia Ora Minister Hipkins,

I write to request the following information under the Official Information Act regarding the increase of Managed Isolation Fees for International Students [1, 2] from $3,100 to $5,520. I understand that formally the Ministry for Business, Innovation, and Employment set this increase but I believe it falls under your purview of Minister for COVID-19 Response and Minister for Education.

1) What consultation measures were undertaken to inform the increase?
2) Was this increase disclosed to students who had already applied?
3) How many of the 1000 students eligible under the Government's second exemption cohort of 1000 international students will be required to pay this fee?
4) What factors led to the decision to increase the fee?
5) Why, specifically, was $5,520 chosen as the new fee?
6) Why were students specifically selected for this fee increases, as opposed to an across-the-board increase for all MIQ entrants?

I would like this request to be treated as urgent, as 20 working days from today is past the date the new fee structure will be in place.

Please acknowledge receipt of this email, and advise whether or not you will be treating this request as urgent, as soon as possible.

Ngā mihi nui,

Sean Richards
Welfare Vice-President, Postgraduate Students Association of the University of Auckland

[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educati...
[2] https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED2103/S...

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From: C Hipkins (MIN)
Chris Hipkins

Kia ora

 

Thank you for taking the time to write to Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister for
COVID-19 Response. We are receiving a significant amount of correspondence
at the moment and, although your email will be carefully considered and
noted, it is not possible to respond to each individual email.

 

For the latest updates on COVID-19, we encourage you to regularly check
the dedicated [1]COVID-19 and [2]Ministry of Health websites regularly.
They will be updated as soon as new information is available.

 

Auckland is now at Alert Level 2.

 

The rest of New Zealand is at Alert Level 1.

 

For more information about what that means, please visit the COVID-19
website [3]here.

 

Please remember to take care, and be kind. We have beaten COVID-19 before,
and we can do it again.

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From: Sean Richards

Kia Ora Minister Hipkins,

I am just following up. I have received an automated reply indicating that your office has received this request, however it has not been indicated to me whether or not you will consider this request as urgent under s 12(3) of the Official Information Act 1982.

Ngā mihi nui,

Sean Richards
Welfare Vice-President, Postgraduate Students Association of the University of Auckland

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Sean Richards left an annotation ()

Complaint lodged with the Ombudsman as Minister Hipkins' office has not indicated whether they will treat the request as urgent or not.

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From: Haylee Isaacs

Kia ora Sean

On behalf of Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister for COVID-19 Response, thank you for your official information request.

I apologise that you did not receive a response to your request below. As I am sure you can appreciate the office is very busy at the moment with a significant number of requests however I can advise that your request for information is being progressed as quickly as possible.

Thank you again for writing. We wish you the very best.

Haylee Isaacs | Private Secretary
Office of Hon Chris Hipkins
Minister for COVID-19 Response | Minister of Education | Minister for the Public Service | Leader of the House
Parliament Buildings, Private Bag 18041, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

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From: Amy Lewis


Attachment MOIA0096.pdf
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Dear Mr Richards,

 

Please find attached a letter to you from Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister for
COVID-19 Response.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Amy Lewis

 

 

Amy Lewis

(Acting) Private Secretary, Managed Isolation and Quarantine - COVID-19
Response

Office of Hon Chris Hipkins

Minister of Education | Minister for the Public Service | Minister for
COVID-19 Response | Leader of the House

 

 

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