19 September 2022
Ministerial Services
45 Pipitea St, Thorndon
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New
Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Website: www
.dia.govt.nz
Harry Peterson
[FYI request #20287 email]
Dear Harry Peterson
Request for information (OIA 2223-0172)
I refer to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s letter of 25 August 2022 to you informing
of the partial transfer of your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request under section 14(b)(ii) to
the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department). The part of your request transferred to the
Department is:
the contents of any seminars, workshops or meetings held to discuss the OIA with Ministers.
Response to your request
Ministerial Services at the Department has not held any seminars, workshops or meetings on the
Official Information Act with Ministers. The Department is therefore refusing this part of your
information request in accordance with the following parts of the Act:
• section 18(e) that the document alleged to contain the information requested does
not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found; and
• section 18(g) that the information requested is not held by the Department or
venture or Minister of the Crown or organisation and the person dealing with the
request has no grounds for believing that the information is -
(i)
held by another department (for itself and for a departmental agency
hosted by it or an interdepartmental executive board serviced by it) or
interdepartmental venture or Minister of the Crown or organisation, or
by a local authority.
Ministerial Resourcing is the part of the Department that supports Ministers and their offices. It has
provided guidance material on the Act, supported by the Office of the Ombudsman, to new staff
members working in Ministerial offices as part of discharging employer obligations for induction.
Ministerial Resourcing has also facilitated the delivery of training workshops on the Act by the Office
of the Ombudsman for Ministerial office staff as part of their professional development.
We intend to publish this OIA response on
www.dia.govt.nz (with your personal details having been
removed). Publishing responses to OIA requests increases the availability of information to the public
and is consistent with the purpose of the Act to enable effective participation in the making and
administration of laws and policies, and to promote the accountability of Ministers and officials.
If you have any concerns with the information in this response, you have a right to request an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. Information on how to do
this is available at
Ombudsman New Zealand – Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata or freephone 0800 802
602.
Yours sincerely
Briget Ridden
General Manager – Ministerial Services
Te Haumi – Enterprise Partnerships
Te Tari Taiwhenua – The Department of Internal Affairs
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