14 March 2025
New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties
[FYI request #30217 email]
Ref: OIA-2024/25-0693
Tēnā koe,
Official Information Act request relating to IPCA Report – Policing of Public Protests
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received by the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) on 25 February 2025. You requested:
“On 18 February 2025, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA)
published a report ‘The Policing of Public Protests in New Zealand’.
In paragraph 5 of the report the IPCA stated, “We have consulted with a wide
range of stakeholders.”
The Council requests the following information under the Official Information Act:
1. All communications to and from the IPCA relating to this report, excluding
anything relating to any specific complaint.
2. All internal analysis, assessment, consideration, formal and informal advice,
and recommendations or responses developed or communicated within the
DPMC (including the National Assessments Bureau) about the issues raised
in the IPCA report and the recommendations made by IPCA.
3. All information recording DPMC decisions on how to proceed regarding the
recommendations made by the IPCA in its report.
4. All communications from the DPMC about the report, or how to proceed
following the publication of the report, to: (a) the Prime Minister, (b) the
Minister of Justice, (c) the Minister responsible for NZSIS, (d) the Police, (e)
the Ministry of Justice, (f) Crown Law, (g) the Department of Internal Affairs,
and (h) NZSIS.”
We understand you have made similar requests to relevant Ministers and agencies and have
therefore interpreted Part 1 of your request to be for any relevant communications between
DPMC and IPCA.
The only information identified as relevant to any part of your request that is held by DPMC is
a briefing provided by DPMC’s Policy Advisory Group to the Prime Minister. These briefings
are provided to the Prime Minister in confidence to support him in his role as leader of the
Government and chair of Cabinet. This briefing is withheld in its entirety under the following
sections of the Act:
• section 9(2)(f)(iv), to maintain the confidentiality of advice tendered by or to Ministers
and officials
• section 9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free
and frank expression of opinion.
4992652
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the Act. No public interest has been identified that would be sufficient to outweigh the
reasons for withholding that information.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
We do not intend to publish this response on the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Janine Smith
Deputy Chief Executive
Policy
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