Reference: 20210251
2 July 2021
[FYI request #15658 email]
Dear Sir or Madam
Thank you for your Official Information Act request, received on 3 June 2021. You
requested:
The 2021 Budget included an item to implement the following petition from the
Government Superannuitants Association presented on 3 July 2018.
"That the House of Representatives pass legislation amending the Government
Superannuation Fund Act 1956 to ensure all Government Superannuation Fund
and National Provident Fund annuitants are treated consistently with regard to
the annual cost of living adjustments being based on 100% indexation of the
Consumers Price Index, as was the objective of the Government Superannuation
Fund Amendment Bill 2008."
The Finance and Expenditure Committee considered this petition in May 2019
and recommended:
"We find that the indexation formula included in the Government Superannuation
Fund Amendment Act 2009, intended to achieve 100 percent indexation against
the Consumers Price Index, appears to be a different formula to that used in
previous iterations. We recommend to the Government that it take note of this
finding and consider options for addressing the resultant lesser payments
received by contributors and beneficiaries of the fund."
Consequently a bid was made to implement this recommendation in the 2021
Budget.
Could you please provide a copy of your responses to the Minister of Finance in
relation to this bid?
Information being released
Please find enclosed the following documents:
Item Date
Document Description
Decision
1. 25 February 2021
Aide Memoire: Meeting with
Release in part
Government Superannuitants
Association
1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
tel. +64-4-472-2733
https://treasury.govt.nz
2. 1 March 2021
Email communication on GSA
Release in part
COLA options
I have decided to release 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:
•
names and contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(g)(ii) – to maintain the
effective conduct of public affairs through protecting ministers, members of
government organisations, officers and employees from improper pressure or
harassment,
•
advice still under consideration, section 9(2)(f)(iv) – to maintain the current
constitutional conventions protecting the confidentiality of advice tendered by
Ministers and officials,
•
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,
for example, on websites including Treasury’s own website.
Information publicly available
The information listed in the table below is also covered by the request and will soon be
available on the Budget website.
Item
Date
Document Description
Website Address
3. 4 February 2021
Treasury Report T2021/183:
https://budget.govt.nz/
Request for Invitation for Late
Budget 2021 Initiatives –
Finance Portfolio
Accordingly, I have refused your request for the documents listed in the above table
under section 18(d) of the Official Information Act:
• the information requested is or will soon be publicly available.
Information to be withheld
There are additional documents covered by the request that we propose to withhold in
full, under the following section of the Official Information Act, as applicable:
2
•
advice still under consideration, section 9(2)(f)(iv) – to maintain the current
constitutional conventions protecting the confidentiality of advice tendered by
Ministers and officials.
Item
Date
Document Description
Proposed Action
4.
09 March 2021
Budget 2021 initiative summary: Cost of living
Withhold in full
adjustment for pre-1985 retirees
5.
10 March 2021
Email communication COLA number for the
Withhold in full
budget
6.
11 March 2021
Budget 2021 initiative assessment: Cost of
Withhold in full
living adjustment for pre-1985 retirees
7.
30 March 2021
Email communication GSF/Treasury on GSF
Withhold in full
COLA Bid
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section
9(1) of the Official Information Act.
Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and enclosed
documents may be published on the Treasury website.
This reply addresses the information you requested. You have the right to ask the
Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision.
Yours sincerely
Joseph Sant
Manager, Financial Institutions
3
