133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
11 November 2021
Te Ringa Mangu Mihaka
By email: [FYI request #17174 email]
Ref:
H202114634
Dear Te Ringa Mangu Mihaka
Response to your request for personal information
Thank you for your request to the Ministry of Health under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Official
Information Act 1982 for the following information:
“1. I seek the messaging and phone records of cal s, text messages, emails, etc, between
Ministry of Health Principal Advisor Mental Health and Addictions Waiatamai Tamehana
and Te Ringa Mangu Mihaka between February , March and April 2020.
2. I seek any memoranda, notes, emails and phone and message records, particularly text
messages, between Waiatamai Tamehana and ANY Government minister or staff member,
especially in regard to the meeting we had with her and Bernard Te Paa, Principal Ministry
Advisor, Maori Health, on 8 March 2020 regarding the fraudulent misuse of a document,
funding fraud, etc, involving Tui Taurua and the group Nga Hau E Wha, who the Ministry
continues to fund despite evidence of ineligibility and fraud.
3. I seek any memoranda, notes, emails and phone and message records between
Waiatamai Tamehana and ANY Government minister or staff member, in regard to the
meeting I and another representative of Waitangi marae had with two Ministry staff at the
offices of ACC on 12 or 13 March 2020 to discuss our formal complaint about the phone
calls and text messages received in the middle of the night and throughout the early hours
of the morning from the phone of the Principal Ministry Advisor Mental Health and Addictions
Waiatamai Tamehana, in which she claimed to be "Karen Browne" and tried to persuade
us to withdraw our initial complaint about Tui Taurua.
4. I seek in particular copies of all the photographs these two women we met with on the
12th or 13th took of the evidence on the screen of my phone of the messages we received
just after midnight on 12 March 2020 from the phone of Waiatamai Tamehana, and all notes,
and all other information, about that meeting, and our complaint about the phone calls and
text messages.
5. I seek any internal communications regarding the same incident, including internal advice
regarding the public relations implications regarding this same incident.
6. I seek all information about what investigations, if any, the Ministry took into our
complaints regarding Tui Taurua and the fraudulent misuse of the document bearing our
information and signatures at Waitangi marae on Waitangi day 2018, and the evidence of
funding fraud involving Nga Hau E Wha from Changing Minds and MHAPS among others.”
As previously advised, the Ministry does not hold phone records for the cell phone number 027
373 4051 as this is not a Ministry cell phone number. Please note that neither the Privacy Act1
nor the OIA2 apply to an individual acting in their personal capacity. As there is no reason to
believe this information is held by any other agency subject to either Acts, your request for this
information is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA.
The information you have requested in relation to Waiatamai Tamehana forms part of a Ministry
employee record. Your request for this information is therefore refused under section 9(2)(a) of
the OIA, to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Furthermore, all information held by the Ministry in relation to your complaints regarding Tui
Taurua, Bernard Te Paa, Jak Wild, Victoria Roberts, Bill Hamilton and Nga Hau E Wha, have
been previously released to you in OIA responses H202102054, H202008684, H202000787,
H201801868 and Tairāwhiti DHB OIA response 12896.
Given that the Ministry has responded to similar requests from you in the past, please be advised
that future requests on this matter may be refused under section 53(h) of the Privacy Act and
section 18(h) of the OIA section 18(h) as vexatious or frivolous.
Please also note that you have the right to ask the Ministry of Health to correct any information
we hold about you if you believe this is incorrect. Please contact us if you believe any of your
personal information requires correction:
Postal address
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
Phone
(04) 496 2000
Fax
(04) 496 2340
Email
[email address]
Under section 67 of the Privacy Act 2020 and section 28(3) of the Official Information Act 1982,
you have the right to ask the Privacy Commissioner and the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request.
Yours sincerely
Aroha Metcalf
Chief Advisor, Māori Health
Mental Health and Addiction
1 Refer to the Privacy Commissioner website for information on who the Privacy Act applies to:
www.privacy.org.nz/responsibilities/your-obligations/ 2 Refer to section 2 of the Official Information Act 1982 or the Ombudsman guidance to official informatioon requests:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/sites/default/files/2019-08/The%20OIA%20for%20agencies%20August%202019.pdf
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