Reference: 20230204
15 June 2023
Liz Blue
[FYI request #22582 email]
Dear Liz
Thank you for your Official Information Act request, received on 27 April 2023. You
requested:
1. Any documents provided by the Treasury to the Covid-19 Royal
Commission of Inquiry
2. Any correspondence between staff employed by the Treasury, and Tony
Blakely, Hon Hekia Parata or John Whitehead
3. Any correspondence between staff employed by the Treasury, and staff
employed by the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry.
On 16 May, we responded to your request and included a summary of administrative
correspondence between the Treasury and the COVID-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry
(RCoI) captured by parts 2 and 3 of your request. You then asked for copies of this
correspondence.
On 25 May, we extended our response by 15 working days to undertake consultation
about the release of these documents with the RCoI.
On 2 June, the RCoI issued a Minute of Decision, making interim orders under section
15 (1) of the Inquiries Act 2013 to restrict publication of evidence and submissions to
the Inquiry and to restrict public access to meetings and correspondence relating to
these meetings. This Minute is available at:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Royal-Commission-of-Inquiry-into-COVID-
19-Lessons/$file/Minute-1-Interim-non-publication-evidence-and-submissions-
received.pdf The documents you have requested are subject to this Order and are not able to be
publicly released at this time, in accordance with section 32(2)(a) of the Inquiries Act
2013.
Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) may be published on
the Treasury website.
1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
tel. +64-4-472-2733
https://treasury.govt.nz
This reply addresses the information you requested. You have the right to ask the
Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision.
Yours sincerely
John Beaglehole
Director, COVID 19 Royal Commission
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