16 November 2023
Chris McCashin
[FYI request #23935 email]
Dear Mr McCashin
Thank you for your email dated 18 October 2023 to the Office of the Minister of Workplace
Relations and Safety, which was later in part transferred to Kāinga Ora – Homes and
Communities, requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act):
Please provide the most recent report completed by the Government and their
individual agencies that have funding in excess of $20m that report on:
•
How the agency tackles exploitation risks in their operations and supply chains
•
Specifically looking for supply chains relating to individual agencies and electric
cars
•
Specifically looking for supply chains relating to individual agencies and mobile
phones
•
Specifically looking for supply chains for any products the government buys in
bulk that require rare earth minerals mined in third world countries contributing
to modern slavery.
I have consulted with relevant staff and I can confirm that as was noted in Minister
Sepuloni’s response to you dated 18 October 2023, mandated agencies like Kāinga Ora are
required to apply Government Procurement Rules, which means that we use the Al -of-
Government procurement guidance referenced in the Minister’s response for IT hardware
and motor vehicles.
I can also advise you that when sourcing construction materials, Kāinga Ora requires
suppliers to confirm that their products meet relevant standards for the responsible sourcing
of material, human rights, and labour practices.
Where we identify potential or actual risk in the supply chain, Kāinga Ora undertakes due
diligence to understand if the risk is present and takes alternative actions. An example of this
is the supply of solar panels. There is a known risk of a likelihood of the silicone used in
some panels sourced from the Xingiang Urghyr Autonomous region as around 50 percent of
the worlds solar-grade polysilicon is produced in that area. Kāinga Ora undertakes due
diligence to understand the supply chain and to only purchase products which do not contain
silicone produced in this area.
Kāinga Ora has brought on a specialist lead to develop its own internal guidance and policy
around the responsible procuring of products and materials that wil further mitigate the risks
in procurement associated with modern slavery and worker exploitation. However, at the
time for your request, Kāinga Ora did not have a report that provided guidelines or discussed
efforts to mitigate the risk of modern slavery or exploitation. I am therefore declining this part
of your request under section 18(e) of the Act, as
‘…the document alleged to contain the
information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be
found…’
Nevertheless, if verifiable evidence of a supplier, brand, or product using material sourced in
an il egal or inappropriate manner were to be provided, Kāinga Ora would take appropriate
action and seek an alternative product or supplier as soon as was reasonably practical.
Thank you again for your request. For more information about Kāinga Ora and its
procurement practices, please feel free to visit our website at
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/
working-with-us/procurement-supplying-goods-and-services-to-us/.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information
requests where possible. Our response to your request may be published at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests/ with your personal
information removed.
Yours sincerely
Rachel Kelly
Manager Government Relations
