Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at the Ministry of Justice
Craig Innes made this Official Information request to Kris Faafoi
The request was refused by Kris Faafoi.
From: Craig Innes
Dear Kris Faafoi,
This is a request for information under the Official Information Act 1982.
Please supply all briefings and other communications to or from the Minister of Justice on the subjects of workplace bullying and sexual harassment within the Ministry of Justice since September 2017.
Yours faithfully,
Craig Innes
From: K Faafoi (MIN)
Kris Faafoi
Kia ora,
On behalf of Hon Kris Faafoi, thank you for your email.
While the Minister considers all correspondence to be important, and all
messages are carefully read and considered, it is not always possible to
personally reply to all emails. As such, the following guidelines apply:
· Invitations and meeting requests will be processed as soon as
possible and a staff member will be in contact with you in due course
· All media queries will be responded to by a staff member
· Requests for official information will be managed in accordance
with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, which may
include transfer to a more relevant Minister or agency
· If your email falls outside of the Minister’s portfolio
responsibilities, expresses a personal view, or is copied to multiple
Members of Parliament, then your opinion will be noted and your
correspondence may be transferred to another office, or there may be no
further response to you
Thank you for the taking the time to write.
Nga mihi,
Office of Hon Kris Faafoi
Minister of Justice, Minister of Immigration, Minister for Broadcasting
and Media
Private Bag 18041 | Parliament Buildings | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6011
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From: K Faafoi (MIN)
Kris Faafoi
Dear Craig
On behalf of Hon Kris Faafoi, Minister of Justice, Minister of
Immigration, and Minister for Broadcasting and Media I acknowledge receipt
of your email requesting information under Section 12 of the Official
Information Act 1982.
Your request was received in this Office on 18 January 2022 and will be
responded to under the provisions of the Official Information Act.
Yours sincerely
Office of Hon Kris Faafoi
Minister of Justice | Minister of Immigration | Minister for Broadcasting
and Media
Executive Wing | Private Bag 18041 | Parliament Buildings | Wellington
6160 | New Zealand
[1]cid:image001.png@01D705C7.E6E691A0
Authorised by Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6011
Disclaimer: Please note information about meetings or events related to
the Minister’s portfolios will be proactively released (this does not
include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the
summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description,
location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a
meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the
organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an
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name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released,
unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be
consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including
privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 2020 you have the right to
ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask
for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for
a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned
about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please
contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy
at [2]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
show quoted sections
From: Justice.Admin
Tēnā koe
Please see attached OIA response from Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Minister of
Justice.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon Kris Faafoi MP
Reception +64 4 817 8720 | Ministerial Email [1][Kris Faafoi request email]
| Web [2]beehive.govt.nz | Postal Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160,
New Zealand
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Kris Faafoi request email]
2. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon...
From: Craig Innes
Tena koe,
I have communicated concerns about workplace bullying and sexual harassment at the Ministry of Justice to the Minister of Justice myself. Please explain your reply in light of this fact.
Naku noa, na,
Craig Innes
From: Justice.Admin
Tēnā koe
Please see attached letter from Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Minister of Justice.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon Kris Faafoi MP
Reception +64 4 817 8720 | Ministerial Email [1][Kris Faafoi request email]
| Web [2]beehive.govt.nz | Postal Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Kris Faafoi MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160,
New Zealand
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Kris Faafoi request email]
2. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon...
From: Craig Innes
Tena koe Kris,
I did not ask you if you, or any previous Minister got involved. I asked for all communications relating to the issue of sexual harassment and workplace bullying. I know for a fact that the Minister for Justice has received communications on the subject.
Explain your reply in light of these facts. Explain your failure to involve yourself in the issue, given that allegations of an unlawful response by the Ministry was received.
Craig Innes
Craig Innes left an annotation ()
After discussing the refusal to supply the information with the Office of the Ombudsman, a series of fresh requests will be made to the following:
The Ministry of Justice
The Office of the Minister of Justice
Department of Internal Affairs
The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
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Similar requests
Sexual Harassment & Workplace Bullying, Ministry of Justice
To Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet by Craig Innes
Luke C left an annotation ()
Hi Craig
If you believe the Minister has improperly withheld information relating to "all briefings and other communications to or from the Minister of Justice on the subjects of workplace bullying and sexual harassment within the Ministry of Justice since September 2017" then you have a right to complain to the Ombudsman. I suggest you ask the Ombudsman to review the Minister's decision.
You might want to be clear with the Ombudsman that you are not asking the Minister to get involved in an employment matter, but rather you asking the Minister to supply copies of communications relating to workplace bullying or sexual harassment at the Ministry of Justice. It might be useful for you to explain why you are asking the Minister to supply correspondence. For example, are you wanting to see your own correspondence or that of others?
If the Minister does hold information within the scope of your request, then this may be provided to you, but that it is redacted to maintain privacy of individuals or maintain free and frank expression of officials. So the names and details of issues may be redacted.
"Explain your failure to involve yourself in the issue, given that allegations of an unlawful response by the Ministry was received." The Minister has explain themselves. They told you why a Minister does not normally get involved in an employment matter.
If you are concerned about how the Ministry of Justice has handled an issue, you should take it up with Andrew Kibblewhite, Secretary for Justice & Chief Executive.
Link to this