How the govt spends money on public relations and interacts with media

DE Sheridan made this Official Information request to Department of Internal Affairs

The request was partially successful.

From: DE Sheridan

Dear Department of Internal Affairs,

Could you please provide the following information.
It largely relates to how the government is spending money, and its actions in relation to public relations and information handling - which should be transparent processes.

1. Re: Press support employed by the office of the Prime Minister
and Cabinet
i. How many full time people have been employed by the NZ
government to liaise with the press or deal with the press in any
way (either social media or main stream media or any other form of
media), or who have supported such operations - on a yearly basis
for the past 10 years?
i.a. How much has been paid on salaries per year for this over the
past 10 years?

ii. Please provide the numbers of people who have done the above
part time on a yearly basis for the past 10 years.
ii.a. How much has been paid per year for salaries for part time
press support for each year over the past 10 years?

iii. Please provide the numbers of people who do the above on a
contracted basis, including:
a. their names, and
b. the amount paid to the top 10 press contractors per year on a
yearly basis for the past 10 years and
c. the total amount paid to such contractors for each of the past
10 years

iv. How much has been paid overall for press activities (including
salaries as well as money paid for various public relation and
press type services) for each of the last 10 years?

2. Re: Senior Press support employed by the NZ Prime Minister and
Cabinet
Please provide each of the following:
i. the names,
ii. roles,
iii. salaries and
iv. bonuses
of the senior press support persons employed by the NZ Prime
Minister and Cabinet for each of the last 10 years.

3. Re: Briefing of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
i. How often is the Prime Minister usually briefed
a. in writing and
b. verbally
by his senior press support people?

ii. How often is the Cabinet usually usually briefed by their
senior press support people?
a. in writing and
b. verbally

iii. In particular, how often has the Prime Minister usually been
briefed by senior staff person Jason Ede?
a. in writing and
b. verbally
c. What is Jason Ede's current role in government?
d. Is Jason Ede still on the public payroll? If so, how much is he
being paid in salary per year?
e. What has Jason Ede's salary been per year for each of the past
10 years?
f. What bonuses has Jason Ede been paid per year for each of the
past 10 years?

iv. How often is the Prime Minister usually briefed by David Farrar
regarding the results of polls and provided recommendations?
a. in writing and
b. verbally
c. Please provide the results of polling and canvassing by David
Farrar, as well as copies of his recommendations for each of the
last 10 years.
d. How much has David Farrar been paid by the NZ government for
services for all of the services he has provided the government for
each of the last 10 years?

4. Re: Connection with main stream media - A
i. How many press support people who are employed (full time or
part time) by the NZ Prime Minister's office and Cabinet, formerly
worked in main stream media?
ii. What are their names?
iii. With which media were they affiliated?
iv. What was the salary of each of the 5 highest paid press support
people employed to work for the NZ government for each of the past
10 years.

5. Re: Connection with main stream media - B
i. How many press support people employed under contract by the NZ
Prime Minister's office and Cabinet formerly worked or currently
work in main stream media?
ii. What are their names?
iii. With which media were they affiliated?
iv. What was the salary (and name) of each of the 5 highest paid
press support people who were contracted to work for the NZ
government for each of the past 10 years.
v. How much money has been paid to press contractors for each of
the past 10 years:

6. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to the following papers
(including their online version) to each of the following by the NZ
government?
i. The New Zealand Herald
ii. The Dominion Post
iii. The Press
iv. The Otago Daily Times
v. Herald on Sunday
vi. The Sunday Star-Times
vii. The National Business Review
viii. Business North

6. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to TV stations? (Please list by
TV station and amount.)

7. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to radio stations? (Please list
by radio station and amount.)

8. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to bloggers? (Please list by
blog name [and owner] and the amount.)

9. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Cameron Slater?

10. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Simon Lusk?

11. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Aaron Bhatnager?

12. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Jordan Williams?

13. Is Cameron Slater or Carrick Williams authorized to be arms
dealers on behalf of the New Zealand government?

14. Has the New Zealand government:
i. authorized Cameron Slater's recent trip to Israel to act in the
interest of the NZ government?

ii. had expenses paid or any other form of remuneration by the NZ
government or any of it's Cabinet Minister's for his recent trip to
Israel?
(If so what has he been paid and what else regarding his trip has
been paid for at public expense?)

15. What is the relationship of the NZ government (including its
press support people) with www.waterfordpress.co.nz?

16. Re: Social media management
i. How much money per year for each of the past 10 years has been
spent on social media management?

ii. What did social media management consist of?

iii. What were the top 20 social media sites with which the
government Press support liaised with?

18. How much money has the NZ government paid to the following
media personalities on an annual basis for each of the last 10
years:
1. Mike Hosking
2. Paul Henry
3. Paul Holmes

18. Re: Censorship
i. Is the NZ government engaged in censoring social media it does
not like in any way?
ii. To what part of government can questions be asked to
investigate interference with visibility of social media?

I am a NZ citizen and live in New Zealand, and this information is
sought in the public interest of New Zealanders.

Yours faithfully,

DE Sheridan

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From: Telephon Telephon
Department of Internal Affairs

Dear Sheridan

Thank you for your Official Information Act request.

We have forwarded your OIA request to the appropriate department to action.

Kind Regards

Customer Services Team
Department of Internal Affairs - Te Tari Taiwhenua
Phone: (+64 4) 495 7200
www.dia.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: DE Sheridan [mailto:[OIA #1974 email]]
Sent: Friday, 29 August 2014 12:40 p.m.
To: Telephon Telephon
Subject: Official Information Act request - How the govt spends money on public relations and interacts with media

Dear Department of Internal Affairs,

Could you please provide the following information.
It largely relates to how the government is spending money, and its actions in relation to public relations and information handling - which should be transparent processes.

1. Re: Press support employed by the office of the Prime Minister
and Cabinet
i. How many full time people have been employed by the NZ
government to liaise with the press or deal with the press in any
way (either social media or main stream media or any other form of
media), or who have supported such operations - on a yearly basis
for the past 10 years?
i.a. How much has been paid on salaries per year for this over the
past 10 years?

ii. Please provide the numbers of people who have done the above
part time on a yearly basis for the past 10 years.
ii.a. How much has been paid per year for salaries for part time
press support for each year over the past 10 years?

iii. Please provide the numbers of people who do the above on a
contracted basis, including:
a. their names, and
b. the amount paid to the top 10 press contractors per year on a
yearly basis for the past 10 years and
c. the total amount paid to such contractors for each of the past
10 years

iv. How much has been paid overall for press activities (including
salaries as well as money paid for various public relation and
press type services) for each of the last 10 years?

2. Re: Senior Press support employed by the NZ Prime Minister and
Cabinet
Please provide each of the following:
i. the names,
ii. roles,
iii. salaries and
iv. bonuses
of the senior press support persons employed by the NZ Prime
Minister and Cabinet for each of the last 10 years.

3. Re: Briefing of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
i. How often is the Prime Minister usually briefed
a. in writing and
b. verbally
by his senior press support people?

ii. How often is the Cabinet usually usually briefed by their
senior press support people?
a. in writing and
b. verbally

iii. In particular, how often has the Prime Minister usually been
briefed by senior staff person Jason Ede?
a. in writing and
b. verbally
c. What is Jason Ede's current role in government?
d. Is Jason Ede still on the public payroll? If so, how much is he
being paid in salary per year?
e. What has Jason Ede's salary been per year for each of the past
10 years?
f. What bonuses has Jason Ede been paid per year for each of the
past 10 years?

iv. How often is the Prime Minister usually briefed by David Farrar
regarding the results of polls and provided recommendations?
a. in writing and
b. verbally
c. Please provide the results of polling and canvassing by David
Farrar, as well as copies of his recommendations for each of the
last 10 years.
d. How much has David Farrar been paid by the NZ government for
services for all of the services he has provided the government for
each of the last 10 years?

4. Re: Connection with main stream media - A
i. How many press support people who are employed (full time or
part time) by the NZ Prime Minister's office and Cabinet, formerly
worked in main stream media?
ii. What are their names?
iii. With which media were they affiliated?
iv. What was the salary of each of the 5 highest paid press support
people employed to work for the NZ government for each of the past
10 years.

5. Re: Connection with main stream media - B
i. How many press support people employed under contract by the NZ
Prime Minister's office and Cabinet formerly worked or currently
work in main stream media?
ii. What are their names?
iii. With which media were they affiliated?
iv. What was the salary (and name) of each of the 5 highest paid
press support people who were contracted to work for the NZ
government for each of the past 10 years.
v. How much money has been paid to press contractors for each of
the past 10 years:

6. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to the following papers
(including their online version) to each of the following by the NZ
government?
i. The New Zealand Herald
ii. The Dominion Post
iii. The Press
iv. The Otago Daily Times
v. Herald on Sunday
vi. The Sunday Star-Times
vii. The National Business Review
viii. Business North

6. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to TV stations? (Please list by
TV station and amount.)

7. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to radio stations? (Please list
by radio station and amount.)

8. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to bloggers? (Please list by
blog name [and owner] and the amount.)

9. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Cameron Slater?

10. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Simon Lusk?

11. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Aaron Bhatnager?

12. How much money was paid per year for each of the past 10 years
by the NZ government for any reason to Jordan Williams?

13. Is Cameron Slater or Carrick Williams authorized to be arms
dealers on behalf of the New Zealand government?

14. Has the New Zealand government:
i. authorized Cameron Slater's recent trip to Israel to act in the
interest of the NZ government?

ii. had expenses paid or any other form of remuneration by the NZ
government or any of it's Cabinet Minister's for his recent trip to
Israel?
(If so what has he been paid and what else regarding his trip has
been paid for at public expense?)

15. What is the relationship of the NZ government (including its
press support people) with www.waterfordpress.co.nz?

16. Re: Social media management
i. How much money per year for each of the past 10 years has been
spent on social media management?

ii. What did social media management consist of?

iii. What were the top 20 social media sites with which the
government Press support liaised with?

18. How much money has the NZ government paid to the following
media personalities on an annual basis for each of the last 10
years:
1. Mike Hosking
2. Paul Henry
3. Paul Holmes

18. Re: Censorship
i. Is the NZ government engaged in censoring social media it does
not like in any way?
ii. To what part of government can questions be asked to
investigate interference with visibility of social media?

I am a NZ citizen and live in New Zealand, and this information is
sought in the public interest of New Zealanders.

Yours faithfully,

DE Sheridan

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From: Katrina Taylor
Department of Internal Affairs


Attachment Sheridan signed extension partial response.pdf
218K Download View as HTML


Dear D E Sheridan,

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your OIA request of 29 August 2014.

Kind regards,

Katrina Taylor

Katrina Taylor | Business Services and Secretariat Support | Ministerial and Secretariat Services
Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
www.dia.govt.nz

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From: Julie Wall
Department of Internal Affairs


Attachment 841592DB Signed response D E Sheridan.pdf
235K Download View as HTML


Dear D E Sheridan

 

Please find attached a further response to your Official Information Act
request of 29 August 2014.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Julie Wall | Senior Business Advisor | Business and Secretariat Support |
Ministerial and Secretariat Services    
The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua   
Direct Dial: +64 4 817 8941 | Mobile: +64 21 884 4444 |
[1]www.dia.govt.nz  

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