IN-CONFIDENCE

 

 

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information about
Information on Lessons learned from Military Activity Camps under the
[1]Official Information Act 1982.

 

We will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible, and in any case,
no later than 22^nd July 2025 , being 20 working days from our receipt of
your request on 24^th June 2025, as provided for under the Act.

 

If we are unable to respond to your request within those 20 working days,
we will notify you of an extension to that timeframe.

 

 

Your reference number is: OIA-CE-2025-02986

Nâku noa, nâ

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [2]OIA [email address]

 

[3]Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 10:27 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #31387 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children,

 

Please provide any documents (reports, briefings, presentations or similar
material) exploring the lessons learned (or similar terms) from the
development and implementation of the previous Military-style Activity
Camps (MACs), and similar programmes, for the purpose of informing the
development/implementation of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Pilot.

 

Please also provide any correspondence (including emails and memos etc)
involving  kaimahi explicitly involved with the development of the MSA
pilot (including external contractors), or senior management (including
previous managers), in which they discuss the above material and/or the
lessons learned.

 

To narrow the time frame, I am particularly looking for documents and
correspondence between 1 January 2024 and the date this request is
received.

 

I am happy to clarify this request if required.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #31387 email]

 

Is [7][Oranga Tamariki request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children? If so,
please contact us using this form:

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

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2. mailto:[email address]
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hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

 

Please find attached correspondence about your request.

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[2][FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 10:27 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[3][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #31387 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children,

 

Please provide any documents (reports, briefings, presentations or similar
material) exploring the lessons learned (or similar terms) from the
development and implementation of the previous Military-style Activity
Camps (MACs), and similar programmes, for the purpose of informing the
development/implementation of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Pilot.

 

Please also provide any correspondence (including emails and memos etc)
involving  kaimahi explicitly involved with the development of the MSA
pilot (including external contractors), or senior management (including
previous managers), in which they discuss the above material and/or the
lessons learned.

 

To narrow the time frame, I am particularly looking for documents and
correspondence between 1 January 2024 and the date this request is
received.

 

I am happy to clarify this request if required.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #31387 email]

 

Is [7][Oranga Tamariki request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children? If so,
please contact us using this form:

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

Visible links
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2. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
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6. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
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8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
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hide quoted sections

Tēnā koe

Thank you for your email to the Oranga Tamariki Official Information Act
request inbox.
The Ministerial Services team will respond to you as soon as possible.
Please note: This inbox is monitored 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday
(excluding Public Holidays).
Nāku noa, nā
 
Ministerial Services
PO Box 546, Wellington 6140
🖂 E: [1]OIA [email address]
------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tenā koe Ryan,

 

Thank you for your email. We have reviewed your feedback and would like to
propose the following approach.

 

A response to the first part of your request, regarding the documents,
will be provided by no later than COP Friday 1 August. Recognising that
there was a significant amount of material to collate and confirm as
within scope, this deadline is necessary to allow us to complete the
necessary final review and approval processes for the information to be
released.

 

Following this, we will endeavour to provide you with a response to the
second part of your request, regarding correspondence, by no later than
COP Tuesday 19 August - this is an extension of 20 working days,
recognising the significant amounts of collation and review required to
enable us to respond to your request.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[2][FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 23 July 2025 9:51 am
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[3][email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

Kia Ora Jarrod,

 

Thank you for your reply regarding my OIA request (OIA-CE-2025-02986).

 

While I understand that this request would require searching through a
reasonable amount of information, I consider the 30 working day extension
to be excessive and unreasonable.

 

If Oranga Tamariki is recording documents and work related emails in
accordance with the Public Records Act and internal policy, then the
documents and communications should be filed appropriately and easily to
narrow down the ones I am specifically requesting.

 

However, as the documents themselves should be easy to find. I would be
willing for this request to be divided into two parts. The first part
related to: "documents (reports, briefings, presentations or similar
material) exploring the lessons learned (or similar terms) from the
development and implementation of the previous Military-style Activity
Camps (MACs), and similar programmes, for the purpose of informing the
development/implementation of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Pilot."

 

This part should be easy to respond too and not require a large extension.

 

The second part " any correspondence (including emails and memos etc)
involving   kaimahi  explicitly involved with the development of the MSA
pilot (including external contractors), or senior management (including
previous managers), in which they discuss the above material and/or the
lessons learned" could be responded afterwards within a reasonable
extension.

 

Also, I would like to remind the Oranga Tamariki, that while it may be
reasonable to extend under s15A(1)(a) due to "the request is for a large
quantity of official information or necessitates a search through a large
quantity of information and meeting the original time limit would
unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Ministry", this
extension should be based solely on the work required to complete the
request and can not be due to Oragna Tamariki workload pressures or any
reporting timelines.

[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

I am also happy to discuss other options. However, if I do not receive a
response within 5 working days, I will assume an unwillingness to discuss
other options and will make a complaint to the Ombudsman.

 

Ngā mihi,

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-----Original Message-----

 

IN-CONFIDENCE

 

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

 

 

 

Please find attached correspondence about your request.

 

 

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

 

 

Ministerial Services

 

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

 

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #31387 email]

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/reso...
5. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
6. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

 

Please find attached tranche one of our response to your Official
Information Act request of 24 June 2025.

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[2][FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 10:27 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[3][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #31387 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children,

 

Please provide any documents (reports, briefings, presentations or similar
material) exploring the lessons learned (or similar terms) from the
development and implementation of the previous Military-style Activity
Camps (MACs), and similar programmes, for the purpose of informing the
development/implementation of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Pilot.

 

Please also provide any correspondence (including emails and memos etc)
involving  kaimahi explicitly involved with the development of the MSA
pilot (including external contractors), or senior management (including
previous managers), in which they discuss the above material and/or the
lessons learned.

 

To narrow the time frame, I am particularly looking for documents and
correspondence between 1 January 2024 and the date this request is
received.

 

I am happy to clarify this request if required.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #31387 email]

 

Is [7][Oranga Tamariki request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children? If so,
please contact us using this form:

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
5. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
6. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
7. mailto:[Oranga Tamariki request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Kia ora Ryan

Acknowledging your email below. We will look into this and come back to you.

Ngā mihi
Hannah

Hannah De Boer (she/her)
Principal Advisor Ministerial Services | Oranga Tamariki–Ministry for Children
The Aurora Centre | Level 16 | 56 The Terrace | PO Box 546 | Wellington 6140 | New Zealand
M: 029 201 5753 E: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 5 August 2025 4:44 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned from Military Activity Camps

Kia Ora,

Thank you for the information provided in tranche one of your response to my OIA request (OIA-CE-2025-02986).

However the documents contain a large amount of information that is redacted, and I would like to clarify the rationale for these, before (if need) raising this with the Ombudsman.

1. The Goodfeatures section of the Impact Lab report is redacted under s9(2)b(ii) to " protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information". Could you please clarify the rationale for this. While I understand that the Goodfeatures are particular to impact lab, there are many publicly available reports from ImpactLab with the Goodfeatures unredacted - some of which tackle controversial issues. For example:
Better Start Literacy Approach
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/content/dam...
Pae Aronui
https://visionwest.org.nz/wp-content/upl...
Meridian Energy Energy Wellbeing Programme
https://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/public/...
Yellow Brick Road Family and Whanau Support
https://yellowbrickroad.org.nz/wp-conten...
ACC Live Stronger For Longer
https://www.livestronger.org.nz/assets/2...
Gandhi Nivas
https://gandhinivas.nz/assets/ImpactLab-...

So please clarify exactly what about the the GoodFeatures in Military Boot Camp Literature review outweigh the public interest? In considering this I would referring to the Ombudsman's guide to this section, including:

"Put simply, the test under section 9(2)(b)(ii) is whether release of the information at issue would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the third party’s commercial position. The third party must be either the supplier or the subject of the information.
A mere assertion of prejudice will not be sufficient; nor will vague and unsubstantiated references to ‘commercial sensitivity’ or ‘confidentiality’. Agencies must be able to:
1. demonstrate that the third party has a commercial position; and 2. explain how release of the information at issue would be likely unreasonably to prejudice that position. "
https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...

2. An email from Joshua Fransen on behalf of Tusha Penny sent on 7 March 2024, Subject: Military Academy Delivery Team, the body is fully redacted under s9(2)(g)(ii): to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the protection of such Ministers, members of organisations, officers, and employees from improper pressure or harassment". (Notably most of the recipients are not redacted).
As before please clarify exactly why the entire body of the email is redacted. Noting that "“Improper pressure or harassment” is something more than ill considered or irritating criticism or unwanted publicity. It is a course of conduct that has such an effect on the person against whom it is directed that he or she is unable to perform his or her duties effectively and hence the conduct of public affairs is at risk."
Once again I refer to the Ombudsman's guides and procedure, including:
"Always proceed on the basis that the information requested “shall be made available unless there is good reason for withholding it.”
1. Will release of the information requested be likely to lead to the improper pressure or harassment of an identifiable person?
2. Will the effects of such improper pressure or harassment have a detrimental impact upon the effective conduct of public affairs?
3. Assess how likely it is that the disclosure of the requested information would cause the predicted prejudice or harm to occur. Is the predicted prejudice so likely to occur that it is “necessary” to withhold the information.
If you can establish a link between the improper pressure or harassment that is reasonably anticipated if the information is released, and a resulting detrimental impact upon the effective conduct of public affairs, then section 9(2)(g)(ii) may apply.
You should then consider whether there are any public interest considerations, in terms of section 9(1), favouring release which outweigh the need to withhold.
4. Identify any considerations favouring disclosure of the information.
5. In light of such considerations, is there a public interest in disclosure of the specific information requested?
6. Consider whether, in the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosure of the information, in whole or in part, outweighs the need to withhold the information.
If so, release sufficient information to meet the public interest in disclosure.
If not, advise the requester of the decision to withhold"
https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...

3. Two slides of the NZDF presentation have been fully redacted under: s9(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" and
s9(2)(k) "to prevent the disclosure or use of official information for improper gain or improper advantage".

The latter includes redacting the title of the slide.
Once again, please clarify the need for these otherwise "unclassified" sections to be withheld, and make reference to the Ombudsman's guide For example:
"As noted above (see Advice by officials to Government), officials are expected to be impartial and robust when giving advice, and not easily deterred from expressing their views by the possibility of future disclosure."
https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...

For s9(2)(K) the improper gain from information form the NZDF on training with regards to Military style Youth Academies seems ...unusual.
"In particular, an agency must be able to demonstrate
that:
 the information will confer an advantage or gain if released; and,  that advantage or gain would be improper."

"1. Decide whether the information, if released, could be used to obtain a gain or advantage.
2. Decide whether that gain or advantage would be improper.
3. Assess how likely it is that the disclosure of the requested information would result in an improper gain or advantage."
https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...

Once again that you for the information you have provided and I appreciate the additional clarity for the grounds for withholding the information. Please also provide careful consideration when withholding information for the tranche two information.

Ngā mihi,

Ryan Wilkinson

-----Original Message-----

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

Please find attached tranche one of our response to your Official Information Act request of 24 June 2025.

Nâku noa, nâ

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31387 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission, dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after transmission. ------------------------------

hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Kia ora Ryan

 

Please see attached a response to the second part of your Official
Information Act request of 24 June 2025.

 

Ngā mihi

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

From: OIA Requests (OT)
Sent: Friday, 1 August 2025 11:14 am
To: [2][FOI #31387 email]
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

Tēnā koe Ryan,

 

Please find attached tranche one of our response to your Official
Information Act request of 24 June 2025.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [3]OIA [email address]

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[4][FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 10:27 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[5][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

[You don't often get email from
[6][FOI #31387 email]. Learn why this is
important at [7]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children,

 

Please provide any documents (reports, briefings, presentations or similar
material) exploring the lessons learned (or similar terms) from the
development and implementation of the previous Military-style Activity
Camps (MACs), and similar programmes, for the purpose of informing the
development/implementation of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Pilot.

 

Please also provide any correspondence (including emails and memos etc)
involving  kaimahi explicitly involved with the development of the MSA
pilot (including external contractors), or senior management (including
previous managers), in which they discuss the above material and/or the
lessons learned.

 

To narrow the time frame, I am particularly looking for documents and
correspondence between 1 January 2024 and the date this request is
received.

 

I am happy to clarify this request if required.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[8][FOI #31387 email]

 

Is [9][Oranga Tamariki request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children? If so,
please contact us using this form:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[11]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

------------------------------- This email message is intended solely for
the person or entity to which it is addressed. The information it contains
may be confidential and legally privileged. Any retransmission,
dissemination or other sharing of the contents of this email with
unauthorised persons may be unlawful. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify us immediately and destroy all copies of this
email. Thank you. Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission. ------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
7. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
8. mailto:[FOI #31387 email]
9. mailto:[Oranga Tamariki request email]
10. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
11. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tēnā koe Ryan,

 

Please find attached an updated version of Appendix One in relation to
your OIA request (our reference OIA-CE-2025-02986).

 

Please note the following adjustments:

 

o Due to the time passed since the release of this first tranche,
consulting again with ImpactLab, and the completion of the
Military-Style Academy Pilot, we have decided to remove redactions on
the ‘GoodFeatures’ section on page 19-20.
o On page 40, the email you suggest be released is, in fact, a Microsoft
Teams meeting link. This is now marked up differently, however, still
using section 9(2)(g)(ii).
o For the slide on page 64, we maintain that material on this page
should be withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i), however have chosen to
release the title and first three paragraphs as we do not think the
release of these paragraphs would impede the expression of free and
frank opinions in the future. For the slide on page 66, an error was
made and the grounds used to withhold the information should be
section 9(2)(i) to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public
service agency or organisation holding the information to carry out,
without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Ministerial Services

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Wilkinson <[2][FOI #31387 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 5 August 2025 4:44 pm
To: OIA Requests (OT) <[3][email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Information on lessons learned
from Military Activity Camps

 

Kia Ora,

 

Thank you for the information provided in tranche one of your response to
my OIA request (OIA-CE-2025-02986).

 

However the documents contain a large amount of information that is
redacted, and I would like to clarify the rationale for these, before (if
need) raising this with the Ombudsman.

 

1. The Goodfeatures section of the Impact Lab report is redacted under 
s9(2)b(ii) to " protect information where the making available of the
information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial
position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the
information". Could you please clarify the rationale for this. While I
understand that the Goodfeatures are particular to impact lab, there are
many publicly available reports from ImpactLab with the Goodfeatures
unredacted - some of which tackle controversial issues. For example:

Better Start Literacy Approach

[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Pae Aronui

[5]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Meridian Energy Energy Wellbeing Programme

[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Yellow Brick Road Family and Whanau Support

[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

ACC Live Stronger For Longer

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Gandhi Nivas

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

So please clarify exactly what about the the GoodFeatures in Military Boot
Camp Literature review outweigh the public interest? In considering this I
would referring to the Ombudsman's guide to this section, including:

 

"Put simply, the test under section 9(2)(b)(ii) is whether release of the
information at issue would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the third
party’s commercial position. The third party must be either the supplier
or the subject of the information.

A mere assertion of prejudice will not be sufficient; nor will vague and
unsubstantiated references to ‘commercial sensitivity’ or
‘confidentiality’. Agencies must be able to:

1. demonstrate that the third party has a commercial position; and 2.
explain how release of the information at issue would be likely
unreasonably to prejudice that position. "

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

2. An email from Joshua Fransen on behalf of Tusha Penny sent on 7 March
2024, Subject: Military Academy Delivery Team, the body  is fully redacted
under s9(2)(g)(ii): to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs
through the protection of such Ministers, members of organisations,
officers, and employees from improper pressure or harassment". (Notably
most of the recipients are not redacted).

As before please clarify exactly why the entire body of the email is
redacted.  Noting that "“Improper pressure or harassment” is something
more than ill considered or irritating criticism or unwanted publicity. It
is a course of conduct that has such an effect on the person against whom
it is directed that he or she is unable to perform his or her duties
effectively and hence the conduct of public affairs is at risk."

Once again I refer to the Ombudsman's guides and procedure, including:

"Always proceed on the basis that the information requested “shall be made
available unless there is good reason for withholding it.”

1. Will release of the information requested be likely to lead to the
improper pressure or harassment of an identifiable person?

2. Will the effects of such improper pressure or harassment have a
detrimental impact upon the effective conduct of public affairs?

3. Assess how likely it is that the disclosure of the requested
information would cause the predicted prejudice or harm to occur. Is the
predicted prejudice so likely to occur that it is “necessary” to withhold
the information.

If you can establish a link between the improper pressure or harassment
that is reasonably anticipated if the information is released, and a
resulting detrimental impact upon the effective conduct of public affairs,
then section 9(2)(g)(ii) may apply.

You should then consider whether there are any public interest
considerations, in terms of section 9(1), favouring release which outweigh
the need to withhold.

4. Identify any considerations favouring disclosure of the information.

5. In light of such considerations, is there a public interest in
disclosure of the specific information requested?

6. Consider whether, in the circumstances of the case, the public interest
in disclosure of the information, in whole or in part, outweighs the need
to withhold the information.

If so, release sufficient information to meet the public interest in
disclosure.

If not, advise the requester of the decision to withhold"

[11]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

3. Two slides of the NZDF presentation have been fully redacted under:
s9(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" and

s9(2)(k) "to prevent the disclosure or use of official information for
improper gain or improper advantage".

 

The latter includes redacting the title of the slide.

Once again, please clarify the need for these otherwise "unclassified"
sections to be withheld, and make reference to the Ombudsman's guide For
example:

"As noted above (see Advice by officials to Government), officials are
expected to be impartial and robust when giving advice, and not easily
deterred from expressing their views by the possibility of future
disclosure."

[12]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

For s9(2)(K) the improper gain from information form the NZDF on training
with regards to Military style Youth Academies seems ...unusual.

"In particular, an agency must be able to demonstrate

that:

v the information will confer an advantage or gain if released; and, v
that advantage or gain would be improper."

 

"1. Decide whether the information, if released, could be used to obtain a
gain or advantage.

2. Decide whether that gain or advantage would be improper.

3. Assess how likely it is that the disclosure of the requested
information would result in an improper gain or advantage."

[13]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Once again that you for the information you have provided and I appreciate
the additional clarity for the grounds for withholding the information.
Please also provide careful consideration when withholding information for
the tranche two information.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ryan Wilkinson

 

-----Original Message-----

 

IN-CONFIDENCE

 

Tçnâ koe Ryan,

 

 

 

Please find attached tranche one of our response to your Official 
Information Act request of 24 June 2025.

 

 

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

 

 

Ministerial Services

 

PO Box 546, Wellington 6140

 

* E: [1]OIA [email address]

 

 

 

 

 

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