3 June 2026
Tēnā koe James
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email of 13 April 2026, to the Ministry of Social Development
(the Ministry), requesting the following information:
•
In 2023 MSD signed eight contracts with the Manukau Urban Māori
Authority. At that time, Willie Jackson was the Associate Minister of Social
Development, and his wife was the CEO of MUMA.
•
Please provide all communications including but not limited to emails, texts
and meeting notes on the identification of these conflicts of interest, the
perception of possible conflicts and how that was managed for each contract
awarded.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Please find my decision on your request below.
The Ministry has funded Manukau Urban Māori Authority (MUMA) to provide a
range of different social services in Auckland over a number of years. This funding
relationship existed prior to Hon Willie Jackson’s appointment as Associate Minister
for Social Development and Employment (Māori Employment portfolio) in 2023.
The contracts awarded to MUMA in 2023 related to food security, the community
connection service, emergency responses, emergency housing, family violence
and sexual violence prevention, training and employment services for youth at
risk, housing and driver licence support. A number of these involved the
renegotiation of contracts where previous funding agreements had expired.
Of these eight contracts, only one contract fell within the delegation of Hon Willie
Jackson in his capacity as Associate Minister at that time.
Notwithstanding this, the procurement of that service, and all other services
above, followed the Ministry’s standard processes, which are undertaken
independently of Ministers. These decisions are operational matters for the
Ministry.
In our previous response to you of 26 February 2026, we included links to Outcome
Agreement Framework Terms and Conditions. These terms and conditions include
a requirement for Providers to advise us of any actual, potential or perceived
Conflicts of Interest in connection with the provision of services specified in the
Outcome Agreement.
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
In relation to the one contract that fell within the Associate Minister’s delegation
at the time, we were not advised of any actual, potential or perceived Conflicts of
Interest. As such, I am refusing your request for this information under section
18(e) of the Act, on the basis that the information requested does not exist.
Our previous OIA response to you also included our internal guidelines for how our
staff must manage Conflicts of Interest along with our Conflict of Interest guidance.
Ministry staff involved in assessing all applications for funding or awarding of
contracts must follow the Ministry’s Conflict of Interest procedures.
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
