Good morning Hamish

 

Your request below (as well as the attached Privacy Act 2020 request) has
been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as
possible and no later than 9 December 2025. Responses to requests for
information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be
published on the New Zealand Defence Force website ([1]www.nzdf.mil.nz).

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa

[2]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rev. Hamish Kirk
[[3]mailto:[FOI #32787 email]]
Sent: Saturday, 8 November 2025 3:08 p.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[4][NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Review of NZDF Chaplaincy Orders,
Policy and Culture, and a missing investigation

 

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Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

 

Request One- Background

1.Terms of Reference for a Review into Orders, Policy and Culture of the
NZDF Chaplaincy dated 3 Oct 2025 by COS HQNZDF.  COS Writes, a.Serial 2.
This review has been directed by the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) in light
of a complaint relating to NZDF Chaplaincy, and upon receiving the Judge
Advocate General’s (JAG) investigation into the complaint. The JAG’s
investigation report highlighted areas of concern relating to the
applicable orders, policy and culture of NZDF Chaplaincy.

b.Serial 4 reads, You are to review and report to me (COS HQNZDF sic) by
10 Oct 25.

 

Request One

1.Can I please have a copy of the Review into Orders, Policy and Culture
of the NZDF Chaplaincy.

 

Request Two- Background

1.On 17 February 2025, I amended my Formal Complaint regarding NZDF
Chaplaincy Leadership raising a concern over a missing investigation
regarding the actions of Chaplaincy leadership.

2.On 4 March 2025 the Chief of Defence Force wrote a Letter of Apology to
me accepting the essence of the Judge Advocate General’s findings and
making several determinations.  The determination concerning the 17
February 2025 Amendment to my Formal Complaint is as follows:  In the
Letter of Apology, CDF writes (in past tense), "I have directed that this
be treated as a request under the official Information Act 1982 and
Ministerial Services will be in touch in due course with a response."

3.OIA 2025-550 from NZDF, There is no documented Directive from the Chief
of Defence Force to treat the 17 February 2025 letter as a request under
the OIA.

 

Request Two

1.Can I please have any information you hold that might help me understand
how CDF, having already made the directive concerning the 17 Feb 25
Amendment to my Formal Complaint at the time of writing his Letter of
Apology, appears to have not made any such directive.

2.Are there any plans for CDF to forward my 17 February 2025 Amendment to
my Formal complaint to Ministerial Services as intimated in his Letter of
Apology?

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Rev. Hamish Kirk

PCANZ

 

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