18 August 2023
Ref: DOIA 2324-0045
Erika Whittome
By email:
[FYI request #23406 email]
Tēnā koe Erika,
Thank you for your request received on 6 July 2023 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment (MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing
information:
The minutes, emails and any correspondence and policy documents for the decision to
publish the [below] saying the employers do not need to debate or provide detailed answers
to questions about the vaccination (Pfizer) and its safety.
“Before any vaccine is approved for use in New Zealand, it must meet international
standards and local requirements for quality, safety and efficacy. This does not mean
employers need to debate or provide detailed answers to questions about the vaccination, its
safety, and/or its effectiveness as a control against infection/transmission/severe il ness.”
Please refer to the table below that sets out the emails between MBIE, WorkSafe, Crown Law and
Department of Internal Affairs officials relating to the publication of the line of interest on the
Employment New Zealand website that have been released to you. These emails contain documents
that prompted the creation of the website guidance, as well as draft versions of the guidance.
Please note some information has been withheld under the Act, and the reasons for this for each
document have been listed in the table. I do not consider that the withholding of this information is
outweighed by public interest considerations in making the information available.
Redactions have been made under section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of individual persons, to
remove references to officials’ phone numbers, and to remove the identifying information of
members of the public. Redactions have been made under section 9(2)(h) to maintain legal
professional privilege between officials and their legal advisors. Redactions have also been made to
remove information that is outside the scope of your request.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further
assistance, please contact
[email address].
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.
Nāku noa, nā
Beth Goodwin
Manager, Employment Relations Policy
Workplace Relations and Safety Policy Branch
Date range
Emails
Comments
28/09/2021-
Main
Reasons for redaction under the Act:
30/09/2021
advice
•
Section 9(2)(a) (Privacy of natural persons)
email chain
•
Section 9(2)(h) (maintain legal professional privilege)
•
Out of scope
23/09/2021-
Additional
Reasons for redaction under the Act:
29/03/2022
emails,
•
Section 9(2)(a) (privacy of natural persons)
letters and
•
Section 9(2)(h) (maintain legal professional privilege)
versions
•
Out of scope
Note to requestor: These additional emails include direct responses that
were outside of the main email chain concerning the line in question.
On pages 25, 27 and 29 of this document some emails cut-off prematurely.
These cut-offs are repeats of emails that are shown in full in the ‘Main advice
email chain’, so we’ve chosen not to duplicate them.
This document also contains letters sent by a non-government third party,
with identifying information redacted.