Ow
31 May 2024
C Bennett
[FYI request #26104 email]
DOIA 2324-2023
Tēnā koe C Bennett
Thank you for your email of 15 March to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
•All correspondence between Immigration New Zealand and NZ Ethical Employers
•All correspondence between Immigration New Zealand and Tanya Pouwhare
•All correspondence between Immigration New Zealand and Mike Chapman
•Dates and times of meetings between Immigration New Zealand and NZ Ethical
Employers, if any occurred
•Minutes and notes from meetings between Immigration New Zealand and NZ Ethical
Employers, if any meetings occurred.
For avoidance of doubt, ‘correspondence’ refers to letters, emails, texts, whatsapp messages,
and phone calls.
The time period for this request is 01 October 2023 to 15 March 2024.
On 12 April 2024 we advised you that MBIE had decided to extend the period of time available to make
a decision on your request under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as the request necessitates a search
through a large quantity of information and required consultation. Accordingly, a proper response to
your request could not be reasonably made within the original time limit. We had advised you that MBIE
will notify you of a decision on your request no later than 24 May 2024. I apologise for the delay in
responding to your request.
Our Response
Please see attached appendices containing the requested correspondence, as wel as minutes and notes
from meetings between Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and New Zealand Ethical Employers. Copies of
call logs and text messages provided in this response were between New Zealand Ethical Employers and
Loua Ward, National Manager – Pacific.
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Between 1 October 2023 and 15 March 2024 INZ attended routine fortnightly meetings with New
Zealand Ethical Employers across the following dates and times:
• 4 October – 8 December 2023, 10.00-11.00 am;
• 18 January 2024, 12.00-1.30 pm; and
• 8 February – 7 March 2024, 10.00-11.00 am.
Between 1 October 2023 and 15 March 2024 INZ also attended routine fortnightly meetings with
industry stakeholders, including New Zealand Ethical Employers, across the following dates and times:
• 2 October – 11 December 2024, 10.00-10.30 am; and
• 22 January – 4 March 2024, 10.00-10.30 am.
A further meeting took place between 9.30-10.00 am on 27 October 2023.
Given the breadth of the request, the information was col ated via a records search (manually filtered
to only include correspondence to/from INZ) and manual collation.
Information out of scope has been removed and some parts of the information have been withheld
under the fol owing sections of the Act:
• 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons
• 9(2)(ba)(i) to protect information subject to an obligation of confidence
• 9(2)(b)(ii) to protect information where release would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the
commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information; or
• 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank
expression of opinions.
I have considered whether withholding that information is outweighed by other considerations, which
render it desirable in the public interest to make that information available, in accordance with section
9(1) of the OIA. However, it is my opinion that such grounds do not exist.
Some information has also been refused under section 18(d) of the Act as the information requested is,
or will soon be, publicly available. This includes documents referenced on page 27 of Appendix A, 132 of
Appendix D and 105 in Appendix E of the appendices and additional information below:
• Amendment Circulars sent to New Zealand Ethical Employers from INZ – these can be accessed
online here:
Resource library | Immigration New Zealand
• New Zealand Ethical Employer newsletters available online at:
Newsletter | NZ Ethical
Employers (nzee.nz)
• Recognised Seasonal Employer policy interagency understandings between New Zealand and
Papua New Guinea, Kiribati and Samoa. These wil soon be published online on MBIE’s website.
I note additional comments about this release below:
• Page 32 of Appendix B: The Kiribati translation contains two errors relating to Tuatua Fire and
Tuatua Police. It should read: Tuatua nakon Fire and Tuatua nakon Police; and
• Page 139 of Appendix B: The translation supplied was developed through a process of
consultation and submission by the relevant Ministry in Fiji, coordinated through the Pacific
liaison officer.
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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.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address].
Tanya Pouwhare, Chief Executive of New Zealand Ethical Employers, would also welcome any direct
enquiries regarding the work of New Zealand Ethical Employers. She can be contacted a
t [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Fiona Whiteridge
General Manager Refugee and Migrant Services
Refugee and Migrant Services
Immigration New Zealand
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