UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
195 Lambton Quay
16 May 2025
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
Andrew P
OIA 30035
[FYI request #30454 email]
Tēnā koe Andrew P
Thank you for your email of 18 March 2025 in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
Under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, I request access to any
communications, in any form, between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
and the Minister's Office related to the advertised Tikanga Lead job position during
the period from 24 February 2025 to 17 March 2025. This includes, but is not
limited to, emails, letters, memos, meeting minutes, reports, text messages, and
messages exchanged via communication applications such as WhatsApp, Signal,
Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
Under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, I request access to any
communications, in any form, to and from the Secretary of the Ministry and any
other person, related to the advertised Tikanga Lead job position. This includes,
but is not limited to, emails, letters, memos, meeting minutes, reports, text
messages, and messages exchanged via communication applications such as
WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
On 25 March 2025 we contacted you to clarify the scope of your request, and suggested
the following refinement to your request for information:
Communications and key advice about the Tikanga Lead role that was recently
advertised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, between Ministry Staff and
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his office, from 12 March 2025 to 24 March
2025.
Please confirm if you are happy to proceed with this clarification, by 1 April 2025. If
we do not hear from you, we will proceed with your original request.
To date, we have not received a response from you. Therefore, we are providing you
with the information that is in scope of the following clarification:
Communications and advice about the Tikanga Lead role that was recently
advertised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, between staff at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and also between the Minister of Foreign
Affairs and his office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, from 27
November 2023 to 24 March.
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 2
Please find this information attached. Some information is withheld under the following
sections of the OIA:
•
9(2)(a): to protect individuals’ privacy and,
•
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, no public interest
in releasing the information has been identified that would override the reasons for
withholding it.
The remainder of your request is refused under section 18(f) due to the substantial
collation and research that would be involved to prepare a response.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
