W Forest
[FYI request #30319 email]
Ref: OIA254-25
Dear W Forest,
Thank you for your email of 10/03/2025 requesting, under the Of icial Information Act
1982 (the Act), the following information:
Pursuant to Official Information Act, please provide the copies of documents
provided to Radio New Zealand relating to John Carnegie recruitment and appointment to
EECA.
In addition please provide the:
a) official advice to appoint the lobbyist to the role
b) communication with the officials managing the recruitment process
c) ministerial instructions to recruitment officials to interview Cargenie
d) advice received relating to appointment of accountant Vijay Goel
e) overriding instructions provided by the minister to appoint board members to EECA
over the recommendations of the independent officials
f) MBIE's shortlist of candidates and relating advice provided to the minister
g) The minister's communication to officials not to interview on anyone's on the MBIE
shortlist
h) The communication to recruiting officials to interview Carnegie and Goel instead
i) The advice received from MBIE regarding the suitaiblity of Cargenie and Goel after
interview/s
j) The list of selection criteria and how Cargenie and Goel scored on the criteria
k) The further shortlist of candidates who MBIE believed met the criteria after Cargenie
and Goel was interviewed and deemed not suitable
j) Minister's reply to MBIE regarding the further shortlist of candidates.
k) Any supporting documents and / or advice that was considered to make it appropriate
to override independent advice to not hire Cargenie and Goel
l) The relevant experience minister was informed relating to Cargenie and Goel serving in
public sector boards - as was provided as justification in the media to override the
recruiting officials.
A list of all documents in scope is provided to you in Annex 1.
Some information has been withheld under the following sections of the Act:
• 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons;
• 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.
Some information which relates to appointments to the Electricity Authority and the Electricity
Rulings Panel has also been redacted as it is out of scope.
Specifically, the information you requested in the following questions has been withheld
under 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:
f) MBIE's shortlist of candidates and relating advice provided to the minister
i) The advice received from MBIE regarding the suitaiblity of Cargenie and Goel after
interview/s
j) …how Cargenie and Goel scored on the criteria
k) The further shortlist of candidates who MBIE believed met the criteria after Cargenie
and Goel was interviewed and deemed not suitable
With regard to the following question:
k) Any supporting documents and / or advice that was considered to make it appropriate
to override independent advice to not hire Cargenie and Goel
I do not hold any material in scope of this request and consequently section 18(e) of the
Act applies.
I do not consider that this withholding of information is outweighed by public interest
considerations in making the information available.
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.
Yours sincerely
Hon Simon Watts
Minister for Energy
Annex 1
# Date
Document
Decision on release
1
January
Position description and person specifications
Released
2024
2
16/01/2024 2324-0881 Appointments to the Electricity Authority, Some information
Electricity Rulings Panel and Energy Efficiency and
withheld under sections
Conservation Authority
9(2)(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)
3
13/02/2024 2324-1892 Cal for nominations
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
4
17/04/2024 2324-2578 Recommended shortlist of candidates
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)
5
12/06/2024 2324-3255 Preferred candidates for board
Some information
appointments
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
6
25/06/2024 2324-3907 Draft cabinet paper
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
7
08/08/2024 2425-0446 Shortlist of candidates for appointment
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
8
17/10/2024 2425-1081 Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Some information
Authority – update on appointments
withheld under sections
9(2)(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)
9
30/10/2024 BRIEFING-REQ-0005764 Appointments – Draft
Some information
Cabinet paper
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
10 31/10/2024 Disclosure form – John Carnegie
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
11 31/10/2024 Disclosure form – Vijay Goel
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
12 12/11/2024 APH minute (APH-24-MIN-0265)
Released
13 18/11/2024 Cabinet minute (CAB-24-MIN-0443)
Released
14 25/11/2024 Cabinet minute (CAB-24-MIN-0460)
Released
15 28/11/2024 BRIEFING-REQ-0006432 Documents to finalise
Some information
appointments to the Energy Efficiency and
withheld under sections
Conservation Authority
9(2)(a)
16 Various
Correspondence associated with briefings
Some information
withheld under sections
9(2)(a)
