Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/30455-messages-related-to-donald-trump on June 22, 2025 23:51

Messages Related to Donald Trump

Andrew P made this Official Information request to Todd McClay

The request was refused by Todd McClay.

From: Andrew P

Dear Todd McClay,

Under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, I request access to any messages, in any form, that you have sent or received regarding Donald Trump. This includes, but is not limited to, emails, text messages, and any correspondence exchanged via communication applications such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.

If any aspect of this request is unclear or requires further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew P

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From: Todd McClay (MIN)
Todd McClay

Dear Andrew,

We acknowledge receipt of your official information request which we
received today for the following information;

Under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, I request
access to any messages, in any form, that you have sent or received
regarding Donald Trump. This includes, but is not limited to, emails, text
messages, and any correspondence exchanged via communication applications
such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was
received.

If we are unable to respond to your request within the appropriate
timeframe, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If your
OIA request requires full or part transfer, we will contact you within the
required timeframe.

 

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Todd McClay

Roving Private Secretary (Executive Support)

Parliament Buildings | Wellington 6011 | [1]www.beehive.govt.nz

 

The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and
intended for the addressee only.  If you are not the intended recipient,
you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or
make use of its contents.  If received in error you are asked to destroy
this email and contact the sender immediately.  Your assistance is
appreciated.

 

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[2]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

 

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From: Todd McClay (MIN)
Todd McClay

Attachment image001.jpg
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Attachment OIA150 Response.pdf
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Kia ora,

 

On behalf of Hon Todd McClay, please find attached a response to your
information request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

 

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Todd McClay

 

Office of Hon Todd McClay

 

MP for Rotorua

Minister of Agriculture

Minister of Forestry

Minister for Trade and Investment

Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs

 
DDI: 04 817 6810

Email: [1][email address]    Website: [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.beehive,govt.nz/

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From: Andrew P

Dear Minister McClay,

Thank you for your response to my Official Information Act (OIA) request.

I must express serious concern at the decision to withhold all information in its entirety under section 6(a) of the Act. This approach appears unnecessarily broad, unjustifiably heavy-handed, and inconsistent with both the spirit and the requirements of the OIA.

Section 6(a) allows for withholding information only where disclosure would be *likely* to cause prejudice to the security or defence of New Zealand or its international relations. It is not intended as a blanket exemption. A refusal of the entire request, without any indication that efforts were made to consider partial release, redaction, or alternative forms of disclosure, suggests that the necessary balancing and harm assessment may not have been properly undertaken.

As you will be aware, the OIA is governed by the principle of availability. Information should only be withheld where there is good reason to do so. Even where grounds for withholding exist, the Act anticipates that any non-sensitive material should still be released wherever possible. A full refusal contradicts this presumption and raises serious concerns regarding transparency and accountability.

Accordingly, I request that you reconsider your decision. In particular, I ask that you assess:
- Whether any portion of the information can be disclosed with appropriate redactions;
- Whether background or contextual material not subject to the harm test can be released; and
- Whether the public interest in disclosure has been adequately considered, as required under the Act.

If no adequate reconsideration is provided, I will be referring this matter to the Office of the Ombudsman for formal investigation and review.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerley,

Andy

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