Dear Prime Minster,

Under the OIA I request any briefings or documentation or advice prepared in the handling of my earlier OIA request, your reference: PMO OIA 234-2023-24

Background
Earlier this month I request information from you relating to historical house building rates your ref: PMO OIA 234-2023-24.

Your office appears to have made an error in handling that request. It has been refused on the basis "The Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s office do not hold any information prior to the Ministerial Warrant being issued on 27 November 2023, therefore, your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information requested does not exist. "

My request did not seek any information held before 27 November 2023. Nothing in the requested suggested this.

It is a matter of public record (see: https://fyi.org.nz/request/26295-house-b...) that you hold information relating to the topic concerned as you responded substantively to an earlier OIA request on the topic, your reference: PMO OIA 202-2023-24. So you hold that information and it should have been included in the response to PMO OIA 234-2023-24 rather than the response being refused. You may hold other information.

This request seeks the advice that went into deciding not to provide the information you hold and instead to decline it on an irrelevant ground. The response to today's request will assist me when complaining to the Ombudsman on the response to PMO OIA 234-2023-24

Yours faithfully,

Harris Leigh