Reference: 20210189
13 July 2021
George Dewar
[FYI request #15433 email]
Dear George
Thank you for your Official Information Act request, received on 11 May 2021. You
requested:
The advice, if any, provided to the government regarding the May 2021 public
sector pay guidance (referred to by some as the "pay freeze").
The Treasury wrote to you on 2 July 2021 to inform you of our decision under section
18(d) of the Official Information Act to refuse your request as the information requested
is or soon wil be publicly available.
We also committed to getting in contact to inform you of where and when you could
access the information. This letter fulfils that commitment.
Information publicly available
The following information was covered by your request and has already been made
publicly available on the Public Service Commission website –
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/our-work/information-releases/advice-seen-by-our-
minister/
Item Date
Document Description
Decision
1. 28 September
Joint Report T2020/3199: Te Kawa
Release in part
2020
Mataaho/Treasury Report - Update on
the Public Service Employment Relations
Environment - September 2020
The following information was covered by your request and wil be made publicly
available on the Treasury website –
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/information-release/treasury-advice-public-
service-pay-guidance – on 14 July 2021:
1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
tel. +64-4-472-2733
https://treasury.govt.nz
Item Date
Document Description
Decision
2. 9 December 2020
Email: FW: MOGSSER meeting
Release in part
Thursday 4pm
3. 9 December 2020
Email attachment: Meeting briefing -
Release in part
Key messages for Central Agency CEs
4. 10 February 2021
T2021/242: Finance Portfolio Meeting
Release in part
(11 February) - Managing public sector
wage pressures
5. 5 March 2021
T2021/527: Cabinet briefing, 8 March
Extract included
2021
6. 11 March 2021
T2021/599: Upcoming Issues Briefing
Extract included
to the Minister of Finance Report - 11
March 2021
7. 18 March 2021
Email: Advice on pay restraint
Release in part
8. 18 March 2021
T2021/675: Upcoming Issues Briefing
Extract included
to the Minister of Finance Report - 18
March 2021
9. 25 March 2021
T2021/732: Upcoming Issues Briefing
Extract included
to the Minister of Finance Report - 25
March
10. 26 March 2021
Email: FYI - Joint TSY/PSC briefing on
Release in part
pay restraint for middle-earners ($60-
100k) to be sent Monday EOM
11. 29 March 2021
Email: RE: Ministerial Consultation on
Release in part
Cabinet Paper
12. 31 March 2021
T2021/806: Upcoming Issues Briefing
Extract included
to the Minister of Finance Report - 31
March 2021
13. 31 March 2021
Email: FYI - pay restraint - update on
Release in part
joint report and Cabinet paper
The public release includes the relevant parts of the documents listed above, subject to
information being withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official
Information act, as applicable:
•
personal contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy
of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons,
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•
names and contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(g)(i ) – to maintain the
effective conduct of public affairs through protecting ministers, members of
government organisations, officers and employees from improper pressure or
harassment,
•
certain sensitive advice, under section 9(2)(g)(i) – to maintain the effective
conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions,
•
other sensitive advice relating to Public Sector employment relations and
bargaining issues, under section 9(2)(k) – to prevent the disclosure of information
for improper gain or improper advantage,
•
other sensitive advice relating to Public Sector employment relations and
bargaining issues, under section 9(2)(j) – to enable a Minister of the Crown or
any public service agency or organisation holding the information to carry on,
without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and
industrial negotiations),
•
direct dial phone numbers of officials, under section 9(2)(k) – to prevent the
disclosure of information for improper gain or improper advantage.
We have redacted the direct dial phone numbers of officials under section 9(2)(k) in
order to reduce the possibility of staff being exposed to phishing and other scams. This
is because information released under the OIA may end up in the public domain.
Some information has been redacted because it is not covered by the scope of your
request. This is because the documents include matters outside your specific request.
Information withheld in full
In the process of preparing for the proactive release, we have identified the following
information that also comes within the scope of your request that we have decided to
withhold in full under section 9(2)(j) of the Official Information Act – to enable a Minister
of the Crown or any public service agency or organisation holding the information to
carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and
industrial negotiations).
Item
Date
Document Description
14.
10 December 2020
T2020/3685: Papers for the Ministerial Oversight Group on State
Sector Employment Relations (MOGSSER) December 2020
15.
17 February 2021
T2021/290: Papers for the Ministerial Oversight Group on State
Sector Employment Relations (MOGSSER) February 2021
16.
29 March 2021
Joint Report T2021/743: Te Kawa Mataaho/Treasury Report -
Context for potential inclusion of “middle earners” within
expectations of public sector pay restraint
17.
14 April 2021
T2021/824: Papers for the Ministerial Oversight Group on State
Sector Employment Relations (MOGSSER) April 2021
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Please note that, as with our earlier correspondence, this letter (with your personal
details removed) may be published on the Treasury website.
This reply addresses the information you requested and our commitment to confirm the
location and timing of the proactive release of this information. You have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review our decisions.
Yours sincerely
Nick Carroll
Manager, Communities, Learning and Work
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