New Zealand
Security Intelligence Service
PO Box 900, Wellington
P +64 4 472 6170
F +64 4 472 8209
www.nzsis.govt.nz
DMS42-6-9291
4 August 2022
Chantelle
[FYI request #19465 email]
Tēnā koe Chantelle
Official information request
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request to the New Zealand Security
Intelligence Service (NZSIS) of 25 May 2022 requesting correspondence between the
following media outlets and individual during the period 1 February 2022 to 10 March 2022:
Newshub
RNZ
TVNZ
New Zealand Herald
Stuff
Newsroom
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Guardian
University of Waikato Law Professor Alexander Gillespie
Named media outlets
In respect of your request for emails between NZSIS and the named media outlets, your
request returned 26 pages of emails. I am releasing the majority of correspondence to you
with some information withheld under the following sections of the OIA:
The names of staff are withheld under section 6(a), where the making available of the
information would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or
the international relations of the Government of New Zealand; and
Section 9(2)(a), the withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy
of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons.
I do not consider the need to withhold this information is outweighed by other
considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that information
available.
Professor Gillespie
In respect of your request for emails between the NZSIS and Professor Alexander Gillespie,
as provided for by section 10 of the OIA, I can neither confirm nor deny whether we hold this
information. To do so would be likely to prejudice the interests protected by section 6(a) of
the OIA, namely the security or defence of New Zealand.
You should not infer this to mean that we have any correspondence with Professor Gillespie.
While correspondence between media and our organisation holds a public interest, this is
not translated to private citizens.
Review
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[NZSIS request email]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Rebecca Kitteridge
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Pā Whakamarumaru
Director-General of Security