Ref: 208727
Friday, 6 August 2021
Jack Kirkpatrick
By email t
o [FYI request #16028 email]
Tēnā koe Jack,
Response to your request for Official Information
On 10 July 2021, you requested from the Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) the
following information:
1) The 2020 salary of the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, including any bonuses.
2) The total expenditure of the Chief Human Rights Commissioner in practising their
role from 1 January until 30 June 2021. This includes items such as costs of flight,
accommodation, stipend, expenses and fuel costs.
3) A record of flights taken by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner in practising their
role from 1 January until 30 June 2021. It is requested that for each flight, information
on departure airport, destination, the date, the purpose of taking such a flight, and the
class level (Economy, First or Business) the Chief Commissioner sat in.
4) Whether the black jersey the Chief Human Rights Commissioner wore during their
appearance on TV3's Newshub Nation on Saturday 10 July which had the words
'Relationships, Responsibilities, Rights' is taxpayer funded. If that is the case, a
further question is how many such jerseys have been produced for them and staff
employed by the Human Rights Commission as well as for the purpose of gifting or
koha and any external purposes, and how much it costed to produce and design
these jerseys.
The Chief Human Rights Commissioner’s remuneration is set by the Remuneration
Authority. Between 1 January 2020 – 9 July 2020, the Chief Human Rights Commissioner’s
annual salary was $362,000 ($188,912 pro rata). Following guidance from the Public Service
Commission, the Chief Commissioner agreed to a 20% decrease in salary. Between 10 July
2020 – 31 December 2020, the Chief Human Rights Commissioner’s annual salary was
$290,000 (138,661 pro rata). The Chief Commissioner did not receive any bonuses in this
period.
The information you requested in questions 2) and 3) above, is contained in the Chief
Commissioner expense disclosure attached to this response. This information is also
publicly available on our website on our
Corporate and accountability information page.
The jersey worn by the Chief Human Rights Commission
on TV3's Newshub Nation on
Saturday 10 July was paid for by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner personally. The
Commission has not produced any further jerseys for staff, or as gifts or koha or for any
external purpose.
Level 8, 44 The Terrace, Wellington
PO Box 10424, The Terrace, Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Waea Telephone +64 4 473-9981 Waea Whakaahua Facsimile +64 9 377-3593
Infoline Toll free 0800 496 877 / TTY
[Human Rights Commission request email] www.hrc.co.nz
Alternative avenues
If you are unhappy with this response, under the Official Information Act you are entitled to
complain to the Ombudsman’s Office. Information about how to make a complaint is
available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or on freephone 0800 802 602.
If you have any further queries about this response, please feel free to contact me directly.
Nāku noa, nā
Jaimee Paenga Legal Adviser
