This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'Blanket Race Based Health Prioritization vs Genetic Risk Factor'.

133 Molesworth 
Street 
PO Box 5013 
4 May 2021
Wellington 6140 
New Zealand 
T+64 4 496 2000 
Micky Turner 
By email: 
[FYI request #15232 email] 
Ref:  
H202104789 
Dear Micky Turner 
Response to your request for official information 
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) which was 
transferred from Hon Andrew Little to the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) on 21 April 2021 
for: 
“Can you please forward all evidence held by the Government - which supports the 
implementation of blanket race based health prioritization vs case by case prioritization 
based on actual genetic risk? 
While it is true that 'some' health issues are hereditary and gender &/or genes play a 
role in increased risk - surely not 'all' health issues can be attributed to race or gender. 
In many instances (if not most) it is unethical to bump a person up a priority queue 
simply because they are 'insert race &/or gender here'. 
Wikipedia states: 
'Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic 
groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of 
apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the International Criminal 
Court. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use 
of different institutions, such as schools and hospitals by people of different races. 
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ation 
Please forward all emails & discussions on record, as well as all research carried out 
by your Government and the Ministry of Health - including how a blanket race based 
prioritization system complies with New Zealand's obligations under local & 
international law.” 

It appears you are asking the Ministry to comment on prioritisation of healthcare and 
Government decisions to change the healthcare system. While the Act enables people to 
request official information from the Ministry, it only applies to information it holds. There is 
no obligation to create information in order to respond to requests, nor is the Ministry obliged 
to provide an opinion. This query appears to be efforts to engage in a debate about the 
merits of the Government’s decisions, rather than a legitimate request to the Ministry for 
official information. The Act does not support requests in which a requester quotes 
information and then seeks some form of comment on it, couched as a request for official 
information. Therefore, I am refusing your request under section 18(g)(i) of the Act, as the 
information requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing it is 
held by another agency subject to the Act. 


Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any 
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at: 
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602. 
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the 
Ministry website at: www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests.  
Yours sincerely 
Nick Allan 
Manager OIA Services 
Office of the Director-General 

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