To: Ministry for the Environment
Subject: Official Information Act request — Ministerial statement preparation and internal communications

Tēnā koe,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to the Minister’s statement dated 23 February 2026 (reference PS‑COR1794/26‑CORM‑00148), in which the Minister stated:

“The Ministry for the Environment does not hold any evidence to suggest that localised instances of atmospheric emissions pollution contribute directly to localised weather events.”

1. Documents used to prepare the Minister’s statement
Please provide:

1.1 All drafts of the Minister’s response.
1.2 All internal emails, messages, or communications relating to the preparation of the response.
1.3 All staff advice, notes, or comments provided to the Minister or Minister’s Office.
1.4 Any scientific or policy material considered during preparation of the statement.
1.5 Any communications with other agencies (e.g., NIWA, Maritime NZ, EPA, Ministry of Transport) relating to the statement.

2. Internal discussion of the contradiction
Please provide:

2.1 Any internal analysis or discussion addressing how the Ministry reconciles:

its admission (16 January 2026, 25‑OIAD‑00029) that ship emissions are not monitored, and

the Minister’s statement that the Ministry “does not hold any evidence” of impacts.

2.2 Any documents discussing whether the Minister’s statement could be misleading in cases where the Ministry does not monitor or study the phenomenon.

3. Guidance and communication protocols
Please provide:

3.1 Any internal guidance, policy documents, or communication protocols relating to the use of the phrase “does not hold any evidence” in ministerial correspondence.

3.2 Any documents specifying whether officials are required to disclose non‑monitoring when making “no evidence” statements.

4. Search parameters
For clarity, this request includes (but is not limited to):

emails

Teams/Slack messages

draft documents

tracked‑change versions

briefing notes

internal memos

ministerial line‑by‑line reviews

communications with the Minister’s Office

5. Public interest
There is a strong public interest in understanding:

whether ministerial statements are evidence‑based,

whether the Ministry distinguishes between “no evidence” and “no monitoring”, and

whether the public has been misled.

I look forward to your response.

Nāku noa,
Nigel Gray

Yours faithfully,

Nigel Gray