MUSEUM OF NEW
ZEALAND
Cable St
Telephone
TE PAPA
PO Box 467
64-4-381 7249
TONGAREWA
Wellington
www.tepapa.govt.nz
New Zealand
11 February 2022
Tēnā koe,
Re: Official Information Act (OIA) Request – Policy to require "My Vaccine Pass" to access
museum facilities
I am writing in response to your email dated 17 January 2022 in which you requested the following
information:
1. Does the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hold any long-term safety data for
any COVID-19 inoculations? If so, what is that data?
2. Does the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hold any long-term efficacy data for
any COVID-19 inoculations? If so, what is that data?
3. Does the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hold any medical or scientific data
indicating that COVID-19 inoculations are not "experimental" medical treatments? If so, what
is that data?
4. Excluding hypothetical modelling data, does the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa
Tongarewa hold any data and evidence indicating that, in settings where this policy is
implemented, any COVID-19 inoculations prevent disease transmission of currently
circulating COVID variants? If so, what is that data and evidence?
5. What is the reason(s) for implementing this policy to show a "My Vaccine Pass" to access
museum facilities? What body of data and evidence, both for and against, formed the basis of
implementing this policy? If this policy was implemented on the basis of something other than
data and evidence, then on what basis was this policy based on?
6. Considering the stated reason(s) for implementing this policy, does the Museum of New
Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hold any risk/benefit analysis, demonstrating that the benefits of
this policy outweigh the risks?
7. Considering the stated reason(s) for implementing this policy, does the Museum of New
Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hold any cost/benefit analysis, demonstrating that the benefits
of this policy outweigh the costs?
8. What ethical, legal, racial justice, and human rights considerations has the Museum of New
Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this policy? If these issues have not been considered
by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why have they not been
considered?
9. What consideration has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this
policy's effect on people to exercise their human rights to informed consent (including rights to
informed refusal) to medical treatment? How does this policy respect individual human rights
to not be subject to medical experimentation? If these issues have not been considered by
the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why have they not been considered?
10. What consideration has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this
policy's effect on individual human rights to privacy and confidentiality of medical information?
How does this policy respect individual human rights to refuse medical treatment, with or
without reason? How does this policy allow people to not be subject to discrimination on the
basis of their personal medical status? If these issues have not been considered by the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why have they not been considered?
11. What consideration has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this
policy's effect on exacerbating issues of racial disparity and racial discrimination?
12. What consideration has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this policy
possibly appearing as a use of pressure, force, fraud, deceit, duress, collective punishment,
over-reach, or other ulterior forms of constraint or coercion to encourage, incentivize, or
otherwise promote (experimental) medical treatments? If these issues have not been
considered by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why have they not
been considered?
13. What consideration has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa given to this
policy's effect on individual human rights, and how that may expose proponents, advocates,
and/or actors on behalf of such polices to culpability for human rights violations, crimes
against humanity, and/or war crimes? If these issues have not been considered by the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why have they not been considered?
14. Excluding advice which is both (a) unsolicited and (b) from the general public; what advice
and influence has the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa received about
implementing this policy? Where did such advice come from?
15. If a person is pressured into receiving this medical treatment in order to access museum
facilities, what liability does the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa accept for any
adverse reactions such person may suffer, as a result of this medical treatment? If this has
not been considered by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, then why has this
not been considered?
Our response follows:
1. No. Te Papa has followed the World Health Organisation, (WHO), and the New Zealand
Ministry of Health, (NZ MoH), guidance that is in the public domain regarding the safety of
COVID Vaccines
2. No. Te Papa has followed WHO and NZ MoH guidance that is in the public domain regarding
the efficacy of COVID Vaccines.
3. No. Te Papa has followed WHO and NZ MoH guidance that is in the public domain regarding
the acceptance that successful testing of COVID-19 vaccines elevates them above the
ranking of "experimental medical treatments".
4. No. Te Papa has followed WHO and NZ MoH guidance that is in the public domain regarding
the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.
5. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy has been introduced based upon WHO and NZ MoH guidance
that is in the public domain regarding the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the
transmission of COVID-19.
6. Yes, Te Papa followed NZ MoH advice and conducted a risk assessment that identified the
over-riding benefits to our staff and vulnerable visitors through introducing a Vaccination
Policy.
7. No cost/benefit analysis has been conducted however at the date of answering this OIA
request, not a single Te Papa staff member has been identified as a COVID-19 case.
8. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors.
9. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors.
10. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors.
11. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors which we weighed up against the rights of potential visitors who choose not
to be vaccinated.
12. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors which we weighed up against the rights of potential visitors who choose not
to be vaccinated.
13. Te Papa's Vaccination Policy was introduced in the interest of the wellbeing of our staff and
vulnerable visitors which we weighed up against the rights of potential visitors who choose not
to be vaccinated.
14. Te Papa's decision to introduce a Vaccination Policy has been based upon unsolicited WHO
and NZ Government advice.
15. Te Papa has not considered this scenario as we are not aware of any circumstances where a
person might be pressured to receive a COVID-19 vaccination purely to be able to access our
museum facilities.
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to seek an investigation and review by
the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request please contact me at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Frances Lawrence
Principal Advisor Strategy, Planning and Performance
