26 July 2022
Harold
[FYI request #19609 email]
Ref: OIA-2021/22-1403
Dear Harold
Official Information Act request relating to Minutes of Disinformation Interagency
Coordination Group
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 7 June 2022.
You requested:
“In response to an earlier request I made for information relating to DPMC's work to
establish a mis/disinformation resilience strategic framework (OIA-2021/22-1234), you
advised me that:
"DPMC’s COVID-19 Group chairs an inter-agency disinformation group, which has met
fortnightly since 23 September 2021."
I have seen what is apparently the same group referred to as the "Interagency
Coordination Group" which has been convened by DPMC "to support efforts to build
resilience to false information" as in this document published on the Unite against
Covid-19 website (p.9):
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcovid19.govt.nz
%2Fassets%2FProactive-Releases%2FReviews-and-audits%2F26-May-
2022%2FCOVID-19-Response-Weekly-Report-17-December-
2021.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cinformation%40dpmc.govt.nz%7Ca5410c37a308409ccb
3c08da4806f008%7Ceea6053309ef4b7a94060f38551cc613%7C0%7C0%7C6379014
92343079839%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2l
uMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ft1pfC%
2BZCoJae5B1SyWd2EmiNjxtxeiqfGMEFoRYMM0%3D&reserved=0
I would like to request copies of the agenda and minutes of all meetings of this group,
dated from the beginning of September 2021 to the end of March 2022.”
The time frame for responding to your request was extended under section 15A of the Act by
30 working days because it necessitated consultations to be undertaken before a decision
could be made on your request. Following this extension, I am now in a position to respond.
I can confirm that no meeting minutes for the inter-agency disinformation group for the
requested period of 1 September 2021 to 31 March 2022 (dates inclusive) are held by the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). Therefore, this part of your request is
declined under section 18(e) as the document alleged to contain the information requested
does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found
DPMC can confirm that we hold agendas for the inter-agency disinformation group for the
requested period. These are released to you in full in Annex A. Please note that itemised
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4571620
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
agendas were only utilised from 1 January 2022. Before this period only a recurring standing
agenda was prepared.
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
4571620
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