3 June 2022
P Shaw
[FYI request #18790 email]
Ref: OIA-2021/22-1065
Dear P Shaw
Official Information Act request for emails containing phrase 'the great reset'
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 6 March 2022.
You requested:
1). I would like to request all email communications sent from and/or sent to any official
of this office during the dates 01/09/2020 - 01/09/2021 that include the term "The Great
Reset" and "the great reset".
The timeframe for responding to your request was extended by 20 working days under section
15A of the Act because it required a search through a large quantity of information and because
consultation was needed before a decision could be made on the request.
On 4 May 2022, the Department sent you a letter advising that consultations were still
underway regarding your OIA request.
Some administrative emails regarding other Official Information Act requests were located, we
do not consider these to be in scope of your request.
After a full review and assessment of the emails identified as including the requested words,
and after consultation, it has been determined that the only references to ‘the great reset’ in
the emails are passing comments used as references to theories or disinformation that were
posted on-line, being reported in the media or to industry oversight bodies.
The emails identified as in scope are listed in the table below. I have decided to withhold two
of these in full, and to release in part the other email, under the sections of the Act noted, as
applicable:
Date
Document
Decision
1. 5/01/2022
Email: Summery Summary and additional platform-level
Withheld in full
analysis 05/22
s9(2)(a)
s9(2)(ba)(i)
s9(2)(ba)(ii)
2. 19/04/2021 Email: FW: COVID-19 disinformation being spread
Withheld in full
s9(2)(a)
s9(2)(ba)(ii)
s9(2)(g)(i)
3. 23/03/2021 Email chain: RE: NZ Herald - Covid and conspiracies
Some names and
contact details
withheld s6(a) and
s9(2)(a)
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4542495
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
In recent times the online environment has been a primary method of spreading misinformation
and disinformation about a range of topics. Misinformation and disinformation have been
increasingly implicated in an increase in online threatening behaviour and harmful offline
impacts.
There is a need for further work to understand and address the underlying causes of
misinformation and disinformation. Online service providers will also need to play a role in
finding solutions, as well as affected communities. This is an issue common to many
democracies and Aotearoa New Zealand will need to work with others as we seek a way
forward.
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the Act.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under section
28(3) of the Act.
We do not intend to publish this response on the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet’s website.
Yours sincerely
Dan Eaton
Acting Deputy Chief Executive
National Security Group
4542495
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