Mōrena Kelly,

 

Please find attached the Ministry's response, transferring your request to
the New Zealand Defence Force.

 

Kind regards,

Hanna

 

[1]cid:image001.png@01DCA4B2.EA4E5B90 Ministerial
and Public
Services

Manatū
Kaupapa
Waonga  -
New Zealand
Ministry of
Defence

 

 

Defence
House, 34
Bowen
Street, PO
Box 12703,
Wellington
6144, New
Zealand

 

 

 

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

From: Kerry Parkin [mailto:[FOI #33786 email]]

Sent: Friday, 20 February 2026 4:09 p.m.

To: Information <[email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Regarding HMNZS Manawanui

 

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

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your
Inbox. Thank you

 

 

Dear Ministry of Defence,

 

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982 regarding the loss of the HMNZS Manawanui in October 2024 and the
subsequent Ministerial communications strategy.

Specifically, I request the following:

Ministerial Advice on Public Messaging: Copies of all advice, briefings,
and communications (including emails, text messages, and internal memos)
provided to the Minister of Defence between October 5, 2024, and October
25, 2024, regarding the public messaging strategy following the sinking of
the HMNZS Manawanui.

Gender and Identity Narratives: Any specific advice or communications
discussing the framing of public responses around the Captain’s gender, or
the use of terms such as "misogynistic narrative" or "vile" to
characterize public or media questioning of the vessel’s command and
operational failure.

Training and Operational Readiness: Copies of any briefings provided to
the Minister in the six months prior to the incident regarding the
"hollowness" of the Navy, specifically relating to crew training levels,
sea-time experience, and the operational risks of the HMNZS Manawanui.

Selection and Appointment Process: Any internal communications discussing
the "merit-based" vs "optics-based" appointment of leadership roles on the
HMNZS Manawanui, and whether external political or social objectives
influenced these appointments.

I am a New Zealand citizen/resident and make this request to ensure
transparency regarding the management of national assets and the
accountability of the Ministerial executive.

I request that this information be provided in an electronic and
searchable format. If any part of this request is refused, please provide
the specific reason for refusal as required by the Act.

 

Yours faithfully,

Kerry Parkin

 

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

 

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

 

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

[FOI #33786 email]

 

Is [Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:

https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

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.

 

 

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

Note:

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you
have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender
immediately. Thank you"

References

Visible links

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Kerry,

 

I realise I have misspelled your name, apologies for this.

 

Yours sincerely,

Hanna

 

 

[1]cid:image001.png@01DCA4B2.EA4E5B90 Ministerial
and Public
Services

Manatū
Kaupapa
Waonga  -
New Zealand
Ministry of
Defence

 

 

Defence
House, 34
Bowen
Street, PO
Box 12703,
Wellington
6144, New
Zealand

 

 

 

 

From: Information
Sent: Monday, 23 February 2026 11:05 a.m.
To: 'Kerry Parkin' <[FOI #33786 email]>
Cc: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Regarding HMNZS Manawanui [
UNCLASSIFIED ]

 

Mōrena Kelly,

 

Please find attached the Ministry's response, transferring your request to
the New Zealand Defence Force.

 

Kind regards,

Hanna

 

[2]cid:image001.png@01DCA4B2.EA4E5B90 Ministerial
and Public
Services

Manatū
Kaupapa
Waonga  -
New Zealand
Ministry of
Defence

 

 

Defence
House, 34
Bowen
Street, PO
Box 12703,
Wellington
6144, New
Zealand

 

 

 

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

From: Kerry Parkin
[[3]mailto:[FOI #33786 email]]

Sent: Friday, 20 February 2026 4:09 p.m.

To: Information <[4][email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Regarding HMNZS Manawanui

 

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

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [5][email address] and then delete the email from
your Inbox. Thank you

 

 

Dear Ministry of Defence,

 

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982 regarding the loss of the HMNZS Manawanui in October 2024 and the
subsequent Ministerial communications strategy.

Specifically, I request the following:

Ministerial Advice on Public Messaging: Copies of all advice, briefings,
and communications (including emails, text messages, and internal memos)
provided to the Minister of Defence between October 5, 2024, and October
25, 2024, regarding the public messaging strategy following the sinking of
the HMNZS Manawanui.

Gender and Identity Narratives: Any specific advice or communications
discussing the framing of public responses around the Captain’s gender, or
the use of terms such as "misogynistic narrative" or "vile" to
characterize public or media questioning of the vessel’s command and
operational failure.

Training and Operational Readiness: Copies of any briefings provided to
the Minister in the six months prior to the incident regarding the
"hollowness" of the Navy, specifically relating to crew training levels,
sea-time experience, and the operational risks of the HMNZS Manawanui.

Selection and Appointment Process: Any internal communications discussing
the "merit-based" vs "optics-based" appointment of leadership roles on the
HMNZS Manawanui, and whether external political or social objectives
influenced these appointments.

I am a New Zealand citizen/resident and make this request to ensure
transparency regarding the management of national assets and the
accountability of the Ministerial executive.

I request that this information be provided in an electronic and
searchable format. If any part of this request is refused, please provide
the specific reason for refusal as required by the Act.

 

Yours faithfully,

Kerry Parkin

 

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

 

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

 

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

[6][FOI #33786 email]

 

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

[8]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

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

[9]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.

 

 

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

Note:

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you
have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender
immediately. Thank you"

References

Visible links
3. mailto:[FOI #33786 email]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #33786 email]
7. mailto:[Ministry of Defence request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Good afternoon Kerry

 

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will
be provided as soon as possible and no later than Monday 23 March 2026.
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

 

 

From: Information <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 23 February 2026 11:05 am
To: 'Kerry Parkin' <[FOI #33786 email]>
Cc: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Regarding HMNZS Manawanui [
UNCLASSIFIED ]

 

Mōrena Kelly,

 

Please find attached the Ministry's response, transferring your request to
the New Zealand Defence Force.

 

Kind regards,

Hanna

 

Ministerial and Public Services

Manatū Kaupapa Waonga  - New Zealand Ministry of Defence

 

 

Defence House, 34 Bowen Street, PO Box 12703, Wellington 6144, New
Zealand

 

 

 

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

From: Kerry Parkin [mailto:[FOI #33786 email]]

Sent: Friday, 20 February 2026 4:09 p.m.

To: Information <[email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Regarding HMNZS Manawanui

 

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

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your
Inbox. Thank you

 

 

Dear Ministry of Defence,

 

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982 regarding the loss of the HMNZS Manawanui in October 2024 and the
subsequent Ministerial communications strategy.

Specifically, I request the following:

Ministerial Advice on Public Messaging: Copies of all advice, briefings,
and communications (including emails, text messages, and internal memos)
provided to the Minister of Defence between October 5, 2024, and October
25, 2024, regarding the public messaging strategy following the sinking of
the HMNZS Manawanui.

Gender and Identity Narratives: Any specific advice or communications
discussing the framing of public responses around the Captain’s gender, or
the use of terms such as "misogynistic narrative" or "vile" to
characterize public or media questioning of the vessel’s command and
operational failure.

Training and Operational Readiness: Copies of any briefings provided to
the Minister in the six months prior to the incident regarding the
"hollowness" of the Navy, specifically relating to crew training levels,
sea-time experience, and the operational risks of the HMNZS Manawanui.

Selection and Appointment Process: Any internal communications discussing
the "merit-based" vs "optics-based" appointment of leadership roles on the
HMNZS Manawanui, and whether external political or social objectives
influenced these appointments.

I am a New Zealand citizen/resident and make this request to ensure
transparency regarding the management of national assets and the
accountability of the Ministerial executive.

I request that this information be provided in an electronic and
searchable format. If any part of this request is refused, please provide
the specific reason for refusal as required by the Act.

 

Yours faithfully,

Kerry Parkin

 

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

 

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

 

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

[FOI #33786 email]

 

Is [Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:

https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

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.

 

 

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

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received
this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
2. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/

hide quoted sections