16 April 2025
E Edwards
By email to:
[FYI request #30645 email]
Kia ora E Edwards
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 2025/20
On Monday 7 April 2025 you made a request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA) for
the following information:
In relation to the public statements of the Electoral Commission spokesperson in this RNZ article:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/557433/billboards-attacking-green-mps-appear-in-
wellington-and-auckland
The Electoral Commission made the assessment that the billboards in question, purporting to
represent the MPs Tamatha Paul and Chloe Swarbrick without their authorisation, did not breach
the Electoral Act.
Please provide all communication and documents that were involved in reaching this specific
assessment.
Please find attached internal and external emails that reflect all the communication and documents
that were involved in reaching the Commission’s assessment of this matter which led up to the
public statements of the Electoral Commission spokesperson in the RNZ article you have cited.
Some contact details, such as phone numbers, some email addresses, and names, have been
withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA which relates to the privacy of natural persons. In each
case where redactions have been made under section 9(2)(a), consideration has been given to, and I
am satisfied that the reasons for withholding of the information are not outweighed by other
considerations which render it desirable in the public interest to make that information available.
In the interests of transparency, we release responses to Official Information Act requests every 3
months. We will publish this response with your personal details redacted.
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to make a complaint to the Ombudsman if you are
not satisfied with the response to your request. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Kristina Temel
Manager, legal and Policy
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
