24 February 2025
OIA24-188
Gus M
[FYI request #29538 email]
Tēnā koe Gus,
Thank you for your email on 13 December 2025 to my office in which you requested the
following information under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act):
"Please provide the following information regarding your decision to grant Candice
Owens a visa to enter New Zealand:
1. Al communication and advice from Immigration on why they made the decision to
decline the visa.
2. Al communication and advice from Immigration to assist you in making your own
decision.
3. Al correspondence from you and your office to Immigration regarding the visa(s).
4. Al communications with the other Immigration Ministers regarding the visa(s).
5. Al communications with the Prime Minister regarding the visa(s).
6. Al communication and advice received regarding the use of ministerial
interference.
7. Al correspondence received from the following - the Department of Internal Affairs,
the Classification Office, the Ministry of Justice, Police - regarding or mentioning
Candice Owens.
8. Al communications received from the Free Speech Union regarding the visa(s).
9. Any other communications and correspondence you have received regarding or
mentioning Candice Owens that is about or alluding to Nazis (and similar terms such
as Neo-Nazi and Nazism), the Holocaust, COVID-19, and the Christchurch terrorist
shooting (and similar terms such including the name of the shooter)."
On 29 January 2025, you were advised that an extension is required to make a decision on
your request under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as consultations were necessary as such
that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made within the original time
limit. I am pleased to advise that I am now in a position to respond.
My office has undertaken a records search and identified the following documents in scope
of your request:
# Description
1. Email - Case for AMOI"s consideration
Date 6 December 2024
2. Free Speech Union - CANDACE OWENS FARMER | REQUEST FOR SPECIAL
DIRECTION
Dated – 29 November 2024-5 December 2024
3. Candace Owens: Appeal letter to Australian Immigration Minister
Dated – 5 December 2024
4. Free Speech Union - CANDACE OWENS FARMER | REQUEST FOR SPECIAL
DIRECTION
Dated – 29 November 2024-2 December 2024
5. Free Speech Union - CANDACE OWENS FARMER | REQUEST FOR SPECIAL
DIRECTION
Dated – 29 November 2024-2 December 2024
6. Free Speech Union - CANDACE OWENS FARMER | REQUEST FOR SPECIAL
DIRECTION
Dated – 29 November 2024
7. FW_ Free Speech Union - CANDACE OWENS FARMER _ REQUEST FOR SPECIAL
DIRECTION
Dated – 29 November 2024-2 December 2024
8. Candace Owens: Appeal letter to Australian Immigration Minister
Dated – 5 December 2024
9. Immigration Ministerial intervention request - Candace Owens Farmer
Dated – 12 December 2024
10.
FARMER Candace Owens– letters
Dated – 11 December 2024
11.
Candace Owens - AMOI decision
Dated – 12 December 2024
12.
Candace Owens - media lines - Due 10am 12/11/2024 [
Withheld in full under section
9(2)(g)(i)]
Dated – 11 - 12 December 2024
13.
Free Speech Union - Immigration New Zealand follows Australia’s appalling example
Dated – 27 November
14.
Candace Owens barred from entry into New Zealand.
Dated – 28 November 2024
I have decided to withhold some information in accordance with the following sections of the
Act:
• 6(c), as making the information available would likely prejudice the maintenance
of the law,
• 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons,
• 9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions,
• 9(2)(g)(i ), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the protection
of such Ministers, members of organisations, officers, and employees from
improper pressure or harassment; and
• 9(2)(h), to maintain legal privilege.
Additionally, some information has been marked as out of scope or duplicates as indicated in
the appendix. These pages have been omitted from the final pack for ease of use.
I have also decided to provide a summary of my communications with the Free Speech
Union, which are within scope of Question 8 of your request, in accordance with section
16(e) of the Act:
Date
Summary
27 November 2024, 9:11PM
Jonathan Ayling texted me raising concerns
regarding INZ’s decision to bar Candace
Owens and requested a meeting to discuss
the matter further.
27 November 2024, 10:11PM
I responded to Mr Ayling via text message
asking if we can speak by phone in the first
instance. I also confirmed that I have yet to
receive an intervention request from
Candace Owens.
28 November 2024, 9:32AM
I texted Mr Ayling asking if I can give him a
call back after missing a call from him. He
subsequently responded with a
confirmation.
28 November 2024, 1:01PM
During a phone call, FSU advised me of Ms
Owens’ original application having been
declined and on what legal basis, including
INZ reliance on the decision by Australian
government that would be appealed.
2 December 2024, 12:42PM
I advised FSU via phone call that if I were
to engage with FSU on Ms Owens’ matter,
having received the Ministerial intervention
request they filed on her behalf as stated
above, I would need to be satisfied that
they have received Ms Owens’ authority to
act on her behalf.
Question 9 of your request is refused under section 18(f) as the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. As Associate Minister of
Immigration, I receive a large amount of correspondence regarding visas and to provide this
information would require manually reviewing all correspondence. This task would remove
staff from their core duties and therefore the greater public interest would not be served.
In accordance with section 18A of the Act, we have considered whether fixing a charge
under section 15 or extending the time limit under section 15A would enable the request to
be granted but it is my view it would not. In accordance with section 18B of the Act, I have
considered whether consulting with you would remove the reason for refusal, however, in my
view it would not as to obtain the requested information would inevitably involve the manual
search of records.
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.
Ngā mihi nui,
Hon Chris Penk
Associate Minister of Immigration
