ERA Chief's communications with the Government Legal Network in 2020
Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
The request was refused by Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,
The 3 June 2021 Government Legal Network newsletter refers to the Chief of the ERA.
'The GLN Employment Law Practice Group meets regularly to discuss topical employment law issues in the public sector, provide professional and collegial support, and facilitate the sharing of information , resources and expertise. The group heard from the Chief of the Employment Relations Authority late last year and recently had speakers from across the public sector talk about the Covid-19 Workforce Vaccination Guidance released by the Public Service Commission and MBIE'
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32630/respons...
1. Would you please share the correspondence, meeting minutes, emails, notes etc between the GLN Employment Law Practice Group and the Chief of the Employment Relations Authority from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021 on Covid-19 vaccination?
2. Would you please share the minutes, notes, correspondence etc of the speakers across the public sector talk about the Covid-19 Workforce Vaccination Guidance from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021?
Possible keyword searches for the above date range would be:
Covid-19, vaccination, vaccine
Yours faithfully,
Erika Whittome
From: Ministerials
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora Erika Whittome,
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 23/03/2026 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
1. Would you please share the correspondence, meeting minutes, emails,
notes etc between the GLN Employment Law Practice Group and the Chief of
the Employment Relations Authority from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021
on Covid-19 vaccination?
2. Would you please share the minutes, notes, correspondence etc of the
speakers across the public sector talk about the Covid-19 Workforce
Vaccination Guidance from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021?
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 22/04/2026, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[MBIE request email]
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Ministerials,
Apologies, the date range in question 2 should read " from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2022?" (not 2021)
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Ministerials,
Apologies, the date range in question 2 should read " from 1 October 2020 until 3 June 2021?" (not 2021)
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: Ministerials
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora
Please see attached.
Ngā mihi nui,
Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
From: OIA
Kia ora Erika
As you will be aware, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
transferred part of your Official Information Act request of 23 March 2026
to Crown Law for response on 26 March 2026.
We acknowledge transfer of question 2 of your request for information
under the Official Information Act 1982.
2. Would you please share the minutes, notes, correspondence etc of the
speakers across the public sector talk about the Covid-19 Workforce
Vaccination Guidance from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021?
In accordance with section 15 of the Official Information Act, a response
to your request will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable, and
in any case within 20 working days of receipt of the transfer of your
request, i.e. by 28 April 2026.
Ngā mihi nui | Kind regards
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna Crown Law Office
19 Aitken Street | PO Box 2858 | Wellington 6011
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Confidentiality Notice: This email may contain information that is
confidential or legally privileged. If you have received it by mistake,
please:
(a) reply promptly to that effect, and remove this email and the reply
from your system; (b) do not act on this email in any other way. Thank
you.
References
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From: OIA
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OIA 2526163 Response to Erika Whittome 10150975.2.pdf
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Kia ora Erika
Please see attached for the response to your Official Information Act
request of 23 March 2026.
Ngā mihi nui | Kind regards
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna Crown Law Office
19 Aitken Street | PO Box 2858 | Wellington 6011
[1]A picture containing text Description automatically generated
From: OIA
Sent: Friday, 27 March 2026 4:55 pm
To: [FOI #34209 email]
Subject: OIA-2526163
Kia ora Erika
As you will be aware, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
transferred part of your Official Information Act request of 23 March 2026
to Crown Law for response on 26 March 2026.
We acknowledge transfer of question 2 of your request for information
under the Official Information Act 1982.
2. Would you please share the minutes, notes, correspondence etc of the
speakers across the public sector talk about the Covid-19 Workforce
Vaccination Guidance from 1 October 2021 until 3 June 2021?
In accordance with section 15 of the Official Information Act, a response
to your request will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable, and
in any case within 20 working days of receipt of the transfer of your
request, i.e. by 28 April 2026.
Ngā mihi nui | Kind regards
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna Crown Law Office
19 Aitken Street | PO Box 2858 | Wellington 6011
[2]A picture containing text Description automatically generated
Confidentiality Notice: This email may contain information that is
confidential or legally privileged. If you have received it by mistake,
please:
(a) reply promptly to that effect, and remove this email and the reply
from your system; (b) do not act on this email in any other way. Thank
you.
References
Visible links
From: Erika Whittome
Dear OIA,
Thank you for sharing the GLN Monthly Newsletter – May 2021
Apologies but I corrected my typo in my request to be for communications from 1 October 2020 until 3 June 2021.
In my request I also shared a link to an earlier request that contained GLN newsletters from June 2021 onwards: https://fyi.org.nz/request/32630/respons...
The 3 June 2021 Government Legal Network newsletter specifically refers to the Chief of the ERA and 'The group heard from the Chief of the Employment Relations Authority late last year "
1, Would you please share the correspondence, meeting minutes, emails, notes etc between the GLN Employment Law Practice Group and the Chief of the Employment Relations Authority from 1 October 2020 until 3 June 2021 on Covid-19 vaccination.
What has been provided does not contain anything to or from the Chief of the Employment Relations Authority from late 2020 up until 3 June 2021.
Please would you provide the requested information?
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: OIA
Kia ora Erika
We acknowledge receipt of your email of 31 March 2026 requesting
information under the Official Information Act 1982.
In accordance with section 15 of the Official Information Act, a response
to your request will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable, and
in any case within 20 working days of receipt of your request, i.e. by 1
May 2026.
Ngā mihi nui | Kind regards
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna Crown Law Office
19 Aitken Street | PO Box 2858 | Wellington 6011
[1]A picture containing text Description automatically generated
show quoted sections
From: OIA
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OIA 2526174 Response to Erika Whittome 10154954.2.pdf
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Kia ora Erika
Please see attached for the response to your Official Information Act
request of 31 March 2026.
Ngā mihi nui | Kind regards
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna Crown Law Office
19 Aitken Street | PO Box 2858 | Wellington 6011
[1]A picture containing text Description automatically generated
show quoted sections
From: Ministerials
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
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DOIA REQ 0029862 Erika Whittome Response Letter.pdf
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Kia ora
Please see attached our response to your request for information under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā mihi nui,
Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Ministerials,
Thank you for your update that:
"We refer to your official information request dated 31 March 2026 for “correspondence, meeting
minutes, emails, notes etc between the GLN Employment Law Practice Group and the Chief of the
Employment Relations Authority from 1 October 2020 until 3 June 2021 on Covid-19 vaccination”.
As you note, there was a seminar presented in December 2020 by the Chief of the Employment
Relations Authority. From the information we hold, it did not address Covid-19 vaccination. "
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
Things to do with this request
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- Download a zip file of all correspondence (note: this contains the same information already available above).
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