Ministerial Briefings and Advice – Veteran Navigation and Non-Statutory Support (2019–Present)
SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to New Zealand Defence Force
The request was refused by New Zealand Defence Force.
From: SPENCER JONES
Dear New Zealand Defence Force, Veterans Affairs.
Tēnā koutou,
I request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982.
This request is confined to records of engagement between Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand (VANZ) and the Minister for Veterans (or Associate Minister, if applicable), since 1 January 2019.
⸻
1️⃣ Ministerial Briefings and Advice
Please provide copies of any briefings, aide-memoires, reports, Cabinet papers, draft briefings, or formal advice provided to the Minister for Veterans since 1 January 2019 that:
a) Refer to referral pathways, navigation assistance, or signposting for veterans beyond statutory entitlements under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014;
b) Discuss interaction between VANZ and:
• The Veterans’ Advisory Board,
• Charitable organisations,
• Community organisations,
• Mainstream government agencies
in relation to veteran support outside statutory benefits;
c) Identify, assess, or comment on service gaps, navigation barriers, or unmet need affecting veterans outside the statutory entitlement framework.
If material is contained within broader briefings, provision of the relevant extracts is sufficient.
⸻
2️⃣ Ministerial Correspondence
Please provide copies of any correspondence (including emails, letters, or meeting notes) between VANZ/NZDF officials and the Minister for Veterans since 1 January 2019 that:
a) Discuss responsibility for veteran navigation outside statutory entitlements;
b) Raise concerns regarding referral coordination; or
c) Refer to implementation implications arising from the Paterson Report in relation to veteran navigation or support coordination.
⸻
3️⃣ Cabinet or Inter-Agency Material
If any Cabinet papers, departmental reports, or inter-agency submissions since 1 January 2019 reference veteran navigation, referral systems, or coordination outside statutory entitlements, please provide copies (or relevant extracts).
⸻
Clarification of Scope
This request:
• Does not seek creation of new analysis;
• Does not request a review of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014;
• Is confined strictly to existing Ministerial interface material;
• Is limited to records held by NZDF / Veterans’ Affairs.
If any part of this request is refused under section 18(e), please provide a description of:
• The systems searched;
• The business units consulted;
• The date range applied; and
• The search terms used.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Defence Force
Good morning Spencer Jones
Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 27 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 (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
www.nzdf.mil.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES <[FOI #33888 email]>
Sent: Friday, 27 February 2026 10:19 pm
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Ministerial Briefings and Advice – Veteran Navigation and Non-Statutory Support (2019–Present)
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Dear New Zealand Defence Force, Veterans Affairs.
Tēnā koutou,
I request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982.
This request is confined to records of engagement between Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand (VANZ) and the Minister for Veterans (or Associate Minister, if applicable), since 1 January 2019.
⸻
1️⃣ Ministerial Briefings and Advice
Please provide copies of any briefings, aide-memoires, reports, Cabinet papers, draft briefings, or formal advice provided to the Minister for Veterans since 1 January 2019 that:
a) Refer to referral pathways, navigation assistance, or signposting for veterans beyond statutory entitlements under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014;
b) Discuss interaction between VANZ and:
•The Veterans’ Advisory Board,
•Charitable organisations,
•Community organisations,
•Mainstream government agencies
in relation to veteran support outside statutory benefits;
c) Identify, assess, or comment on service gaps, navigation barriers, or unmet need affecting veterans outside the statutory entitlement framework.
If material is contained within broader briefings, provision of the relevant extracts is sufficient.
⸻
2️⃣ Ministerial Correspondence
Please provide copies of any correspondence (including emails, letters, or meeting notes) between VANZ/NZDF officials and the Minister for Veterans since 1 January 2019 that:
a) Discuss responsibility for veteran navigation outside statutory entitlements;
b) Raise concerns regarding referral coordination; or
c) Refer to implementation implications arising from the Paterson Report in relation to veteran navigation or support coordination.
⸻
3️⃣ Cabinet or Inter-Agency Material
If any Cabinet papers, departmental reports, or inter-agency submissions since 1 January 2019 reference veteran navigation, referral systems, or coordination outside statutory entitlements, please provide copies (or relevant extracts).
⸻
Clarification of Scope
This request:
•Does not seek creation of new analysis; •Does not request a review of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014; •Is confined strictly to existing Ministerial interface material; •Is limited to records held by NZDF / Veterans’ Affairs.
If any part of this request is refused under section 18(e), please provide a description of:
•The systems searched;
•The business units consulted;
•The date range applied; and
•The search terms used.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
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From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Defence Force
Good afternoon Spencer Jones
Please find attached the response to your request for information.
Regards
Cheryl Robertson
Ministerial Advisor, Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
T: (04) 498 6834 | Internal: (349) 8834
[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz
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
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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()
OIA Update – NZDF Response: Absence of Advice on Non-Statutory Veteran Support
Request:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33888
Response:
Summary of Decision
The New Zealand Defence Force has refused core parts of this request under section 18(e) of the Official Information Act, stating that:
> “no advice or information on the matters you have raised has been identified” (page 2)
What Was Requested
This request sought ministerial-level material (since 2019) relating to:
• veteran navigation and referral pathways outside statutory entitlements
• interaction with:
- Veterans’ Advisory Board
- charities and community organisations
- mainstream government agencies
• identification of:
- service gaps
- unmet need
- coordination issues
NZDF Position
NZDF’s response is based on two key assertions:
1. Mandate limitation
- Veterans’ Affairs responsibilities are described as “clearly defined”
- non-statutory support is treated as outside scope of responsibility
2. Non-existence of information
- no ministerial advice or records identified on the requested topics
- request refused under s18(e) (information does not exist)
Critical Policy Signal
If accepted at face value, this response implies:
> No formal advice has been provided to Ministers on non-statutory veteran support gaps, navigation issues, or unmet need since at least 2019
This has broader implications:
• issues outside statutory entitlements may not be systematically escalated
• cross-sector coordination (government ↔ community) may lack formal policy visibility
• potential service gaps may exist without structured reporting to Ministers
Paterson Report – Limited Disclosure
NZDF confirms:
• some recommendations were previously referenced
• underlying advice has not been released
• justification:
- not directly relevant
- or outside scope
No supporting documents were provided.
Process Transparency Concerns
The response does not explain how the conclusion was reached.
No detail is provided on:
• systems searched (e.g. email, document systems, ministerial briefings)
• search terms or methodology
• business units or staff consulted
• whether historical or archived material was included
Legal Context
Under the Official Information Act:
• section 18(e) requires reasonable steps to determine whether information exists
• agencies must base decisions on actual searches, not assumptions
A conclusion that information does not exist typically requires:
- identification of relevant systems
- engagement with appropriate custodians
- reasonable search methodology
None of this is described in the response.
Mandate vs Records
The response relies heavily on the concept of “mandate”.
However:
> the absence of a formal mandate does not necessarily mean that records, discussions, or advice do not exist
Examples could include:
• cross-agency briefings
• ministerial correspondence
• implementation discussions
• informal or exploratory advice
Behavioural Warning
NZDF additionally states:
• the requester has submitted a “significantly disproportionate” number of requests
• future requests may be refused under section 18(h) (information already provided)
Interpretation
This introduces a secondary issue:
> the response shifts from a purely information-based assessment to commentary on requester behaviour
While noted, this does not affect the legal requirement to properly assess each request.
Key Issue
At the centre of this response is a single, testable claim:
> No information exists on ministerial advice regarding non-statutory veteran support gaps
The robustness of this claim depends on:
• how thoroughly records were searched
• whether all relevant systems and document types were considered
Current Status
• Request: refused under section 18(e)
• No substantive documents released
• Basis: information asserted not to exist
Next Steps
Potential next steps include:
• seeking clarification on:
- search methodology
- systems and records examined
- scope of enquiries undertaken
• requesting more specific material (e.g. particular reports or timeframes)
• considering review by the Ombudsman
Why This Matters
This request goes beyond a single dataset.
It raises a broader question:
> How are gaps in veteran support outside statutory entitlements identified, recorded, and communicated to decision-makers?
The response suggests that:
• either such issues are not formally documented
• or existing records have not been identified through the current process
Both scenarios have implications for transparency and oversight.
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