28 March 2025
Ref: DOIA-REQ-001068
Erika Whittome
Email: [FYI request #30178 email]
Tēnā koe Erika
Thank you for your email of 22 February 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment (MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing
information:
“1 Would you please share the reports and directions from the Minister of Workplace
relations that MBIE and the ERA received for 2024 and 2025.
2. Would you please share these documents on MBIE's website which have titles on this
webpage but no content.
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mbie.govt.nz
%2Fabout%2Fopen-government-and-official-information%2Frelease-of-
information%2Flists-of-ministerial-documents-by-portfolio%2Fworkplace-relations-and-
safety&data=05%7C02%7CMinisterialServices%40mbie.govt.nz%7Cf8f80d85e3044a96ac1
108dd52ce2593%7C78b2bd11e42b47eab0112e04c3af5ec1%7C0%7C0%7C63875776755
9848293%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDA
wMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t
eL1pZlA0jwlz6CgaEiKebuxc5ZGFBOGW6Yy%2FTU8ZKo%3D&reserved=0
This is the list copied and pasted:
BRIEFING-REQ-0007323 Advice on the transitional provision for the personal grievance
income threshold 15 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008015 Employment Relations Amendment (Partial Strikes) Bill: Initial
Briefing 15 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008163 Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure)
Amendment Bill - Member's Bill - Initial Briefing.docx 16 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008125 Title withheld: Confidential advice to Government 21
January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008192 Title withheld: Confidential advice to Government 22
January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008022 MBIE Workplace Relations and Safety Policy Weekly Report -
Week ending 23 January 2025 23 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008352 HAct Cover note for Minister Meeting 24 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008381 Additional information regarding the subcontracting criterion in
the new gateway test 29 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008363 MBIE Workplace Relations and Safety Policy Weekly Report -
Week ending 30 January 2025 30 January MBIE
BRIEFING-REQ-0008194 Title withheld: Confidential advice to Government 30
January MBIE”
On 14 March we reached out to you to clarify the first part of your request.
On 20 March you responded to our request for clarification inquiring whether “
For question 1 are
there summary reports, please or Weekly briefings ?” As you have been advised, MBIE does not receive specific weekly or summary reports from Ministers
containing directions. Directions from Ministers are a very broad topic, ranging from preferences
about the length of papers through to policy decisions, and can be communicated through a wide
variety of means. As such I am refusing your request for reports and directions from the Minister of
Workplace Relations and Safety under section 18(f) of the Act, as the information requested cannot
be made available without substantial collation or research.
I am further refusing your request for “specific weekly or summary reports” under section 18(e) of
the Act as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite
reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
MBIE has identified 10 documents relevant to the second part of your request as set out in the
document table below:
No Date
Title
Decision
01
15 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0007323 Advice on the
Some information withheld
transitional provision for the personal
under section 9(2)(a)
grievance income threshold
02
15 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008015 Employment
Some information withheld
Relations Amendment (Partial Strikes) Bill:
under section 9(2)(a) and
Initial Briefing
9(2)(f)(iv)
03
16 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008163 Employment
Some information withheld
Relations (Employee Remuneration
under section 9(2)(a) and
Disclosure) Amendment Bill - Member's Bill -
9(2)(f)(iv)
Initial Briefing
04
21 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008125 Cabinet Legislation
Some information withheld
Committee paper for the Minimum Wage
under section 9(2)(a).
Order 2025
Annexes refused under
section 18(d)
05
22 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008192 2025 Legislation
Withheld in full under
Programme - Submission of Bids
section 9(2)(f)(iv) and
9(2)(h)
06
23 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008022 MBIE Workplace
Some information withheld
Relations and Safety Policy Weekly Report -
under section 6(a), 9(2)(a)
Week ending 23 January 2025
and 9(2)(f)(iv)
07
24 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008352 Holidays Act Reform
Withheld in full under
Policy Design Workshop 1: 30 January 2025
section 9(2)(f)(iv)
No Date
Title
Decision
08
29 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008381 Additional
Some information withheld
information regarding the subcontracting
under section 9(2)(a)
criterion in the new gateway test
09
30 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0008363 MBIE Workplace
Some information withheld
Relations and Safety Policy Weekly Report -
under section 6(c), 9(2)(a),
Week ending 30 January 2025
9(2)(b)(ii), 9(2)(f)(iv),
9(2)(g)(i)
10
30 January 2025
BRIEFING-REQ-0000194 [Title withheld]
Withheld in full under
section 9(2)(f)(iv) including
title
Please find copies of seven of these documents enclosed. I am withholding some information,
including three documents withheld in full, under the following sections of the Act:
• Section 6(a), as the making available of this information would be likely to prejudice the
security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New
Zealand;
• Section 6(c) as the making available of this information would be likely to prejudice the
maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences,
and the right to a fair trial;
• Section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons;
• Section 9(2)(b)(i ) to protect information where the making available of the information would
be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or
who is the subject of the information;
• Section 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which protect
the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials;
• Section 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank
expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an
organisation or officers and employees of any public service agency or organisation in the
course of their duty; and
• Section 9(2)(h) to maintain legal professional privilege.
I do not consider that the withholding of any information is outweighed by public interest
considerations in making the information available.
I am also refusing the Annexes of Document 04 under section 18(d) of the Act as the information is
or soon will be publicly available:
• Annex One will soon be proactively released on the MBIE website and will be available here:
Minimum wage reviews | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
• Annex Two has been published and is available here
: Minimum Wage Order 2025 (SL
2025/16) – New Zealand Legislation
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further
assistance, please contac
t [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.
Nāku noa, nā
Richard Davies
Policy Director, Workplace Relations and Safety Policy
Labour, Science and Enterprise, MBIE
