9
September 2024
Hone
[FYI request #27944 email]
Dear Hone
Official Information Request
Our Ref: OIA 2024-0205
I refer to your official information request received on 6 August 2024 where you have asked for:
“Any communications including emails, reports, aide memoires, sms, watsapp, etc, from 1
July 2024 onwards that mention karakia and/or relate to the use of karakia, between the
Public Services Commission, it's officers and employees and any Ministers, Ministers offices,
MPs and any other Government agencies and departments.
Please include any communications internal to the Public Service Commission related to
karakia and/or the use of karakia.”
Information being released
Please find enclosed and listed in the table below communications between the Public Service
Commission and the office of the Minister for the Public Service relating to the use of karakia.
We have not included internal communications within the Commission that were sent to identify
the relevant teams to provide the requested advice or documents where the word “karakia” is
mentioned and the karakia wording is provided (such as meeting agendas).
Item
Date
Document Description
Decision
1
22 July 2024 @10.01am
EMAIL titled:  Karakia
Released in part
2
22 July 2024 @ 11.42am
EMAIL titled: RE: Karakia
Released in part
I have decided to release the documents listed above, subject to information being withheld under
section 9(2)(a) of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) in order to protect the privacy of natural
persons. In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1)
of the OIA.
Level 10, RBNZ Building |   2 The Terrace | PO Box 329
Wel ington 6140 | New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 6600

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to 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.
Please note that we intend to publish this letter (with your personal details removed) and enclosed
documents on the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission’s website.
Yours sincerely
Nicky Dirks
Manager – Ministerial and Executive Services
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

From:
Gabrielle Wilson
To:
Christina Connolly; Ministerial Services; Nicky Dirks
Cc:
Alex Chadwick; Hannah Cameron
Subject:
RE: Karakia
Date:
Monday, 22 July 2024 11:42:05 am
Hi Christina,
Te Arawhiti - Office for Māori-Crown Relations is the agency responsible for
supporting the public service to build capability to better meet its Treaty
responsibilities. Te Arawhiti maintains relevant resources and expertise in this area,
and advice should be sought from Te Arawhiti on the nature of karakia, their use in
the public service, and existing guidance to agencies. You may wish to discuss this
with the Minister for Māori-Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti.
No formal standards or expectations have been issued to agencies regarding use of
karakia, and therefore how they are incorporated into an agency’s operation is at the
discretion of individual chief executives. There is no data on the use of karakia in the
public service. However it is common for agencies to make karakia available to staff
and encourage their use (e.g. to open and close meetings) as a means of building
cultural capability and incorporating te reo and tikanga into their work.
We note that if the Government is considering expectations in this area, advice should
be sought on how those expectations would fit with the Crown’s statutory and Treaty
obligations.
The Human Rights Commission has previously issued guidance on religious diversity
in New Zealand work places. This states that karakia should not be compulsory, and
employers should be aware that for some employees karakia and waiata at work can
raise religious concerns, and that opportunities to discuss this are needed.
HRC Religious-DiversityV6.pdf (hrc-nz-resources.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com)
Let me know if this is sufficient or you would like to discuss further.
Thanks,
Gabs
From: Christina Connolly <9(2)(a) privacy
>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 10:01 AM
To: Gabrielle Wilson <9(2)(a) privacy
>; Alex Chadwick
<9(2)(a) privacy
>; Ministerial Services
<[email address]>; Nicky Dirks <9(2)(a) privacy
>
Subject: Karakia
This email was sent from someone outside of Te Kawa Mataaho. Please take
extra care.
Hi there,

There a wee storm brewing online about the use of Karakia in the Public Service. The
Minister would like an urgent update on:
Is Karakia considered a religious or semi religious practice?
How widespread is the use of Karakia in the Public Service?
Do we have any guidance on this?
If we wanted to, could we issue a directive that Karakia is not compulsory in the
public service, based on the premise public servants cannot be required to
participate in religious or spiritual practice.
Deadline: 12 noon
Thanks
C
Christina Connolly | Private Secretary, Public Service | Office of Hon Nicola Willis
Minister of Finance | Minister for the Public Service | Minister for Social Investment
Associate Minister of Climate Change
Private Bag 18 888 |Parliament Buildings |Wellington 6011 www.beehive.govt.nz

Document Outline