14 June 2024
Jason El ison
By email:
[FYI request #26604 email]
Dear Mr Ellison
Request for information
We refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (“
OIA”) email request to the Office of the Hon
David Seymour dated 2 May 2024.
On 16 May 2024, the Office of the Hon David Seymour partially transferred to Southern
Response the following three questions from your request under section 14(b)(i ) of the OIA
on the basis that his office believed that the information is more closely connected with the
functions of Southern Response (“
Request”):
1. Please provide me with all documents and information related to the list of 3
circumstances being a fixed list that did not expand over time [Request One].
2. Please provide all documents and information related to David Clark’s communications
with Southern Response regarding their crimes, to which he initially said did not exist,
then said he lied about it not existing because the information contained within the
communications would impede his ability to have frank conversations with Southern
Response about the crimes they are committing. [Request Two]
3. Please provide all documents and information related to Grant Robertson’s
communications with Southern Response regarding their crimes. [Request Three]
Response to your Request
Response to Request One
We understand that Request One is a reference to the three circumstances where Southern
Response has contributed to policyholder legal fees in the past, as contained in the Hon David
Seymour’s OIA response letter to you dated 1 May 2024 (
enclosed). Please note that we
obtained a copy of the enclosed letter from the link in your OIA email request to the Hon David
Seymour dated 2 May 2024 (also
enclosed), which was provided to Southern Response when
his Office partially transferred the request on 16 May 2024 as outlined above.
The three circumstances of when Southern Response has previously agreed to make
discretionary contributions towards policyholder legal fees is not a fixed list. Southern
Response therefore does not hold any documents or information relating to the list not
expanding over time. We accordingly refuse your Request One under:
• section 18(e) of the OIA on the basis that the documents alleged to contain the
information do not exist, and
• section 18(g)(i) of the OIA on the basis that the information is not held by Southern
Response and we have no grounds for believing that it is held by any other
organisation.
Response to Requests Two and Request Three
Southern Response denies that it has commit ed any crimes in the course of carrying out its
functions. We note that you have not provided any evidence to support your allegations.
Accordingly, no information or communications exist between Southern Response and the
then Hon Grant Robertson and the then Hon Dr David Clark about crimes committed by
Southern Response. Request Two and Request Three are therefore refused under:
• section 18(e) of the OIA on the basis that the documents alleged to contain the
information do not exist,
• section 18(g)(i) of the OIA on the basis that the information is not held by Southern
Response and we have no grounds for believing that it is held by any other
organisation.
Your rights You have the right to contact the Ombudsman about this response. To do so, you can visit
their website -
http:/ www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
Yours sincerely,
Casey Hurren
Chief Executive