21 May 2026
Ref: OIA-2025/26-0685
Joshua Riley
[FYI request #34547 email]
Tēnā koe Joshua,
Official Information Act request relating to the New Zealand–India Free Trade
Agreement
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request, which was received by the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) on 26 April 2026. You requested:
“I request the following information held by the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet, covering the period 1 January 2025 to the date of this request:
1. All communications (including emails, text messages, WhatsApp / Signal / other
messaging app correspondence, letters, briefings, file notes, meeting minutes, and
diary entries) between staff of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and
any of the following parties, where the subject matter relates to the New Zealand–India
Free Trade Agreement or to the promotion, amplification, or social media coverage of
statements by the Prime Minister or the Minister for Trade and Investment regarding
India or the FTA:
a. Social media influencers, content creators, or operators of social media accounts
(including but not limited to accounts on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,
YouTube, and WhatsApp);
b. Public relations, communications, marketing, or digital strategy firms or consultants;
c. Media organisations, journalists, or media-buying agencies based in India or
primarily serving Indian audiences;
d. Diaspora organisations, community groups, or business councils with a focus on
India–New Zealand relations;
e. Officials, agencies, or representatives of the Government of India (including the
Indian High Commission to New Zealand, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry) where those communications relate to social
media activity, content sharing, or coordinated promotion;
f. Any third party engaged or paid (whether by [agency], by another government
agency, or by a contracted intermediary) to promote, amplify, share, retweet, like, or
otherwise increase the reach of social media content concerning the India FTA.
2. Any contracts, statements of work, purchase orders, invoices, or financial records
relating to the engagement of any party for the purpose of social media amplification,
influencer marketing, audience targeting, or coordinated promotion of messaging
concerning the India FTA, including any spend on paid amplification on X/Twitter or
other platforms.
3. Any internal strategy documents, communications plans, media plans, or briefings
5152717
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
concerning the digital or social media communications strategy for the India FTA,
including any analysis, monitoring, or reporting on social media engagement (e.g.
retweets, likes, follower analytics) of posts by the Prime Minister or the Minister for
Trade and Investment relating to India or the FTA.
4. Any correspondence with platforms (including X Corp / Twitter, Meta, Google)
regarding the promotion, boosting, or analytics of posts relating to the India FTA.”
I have identified some information in scope of part one of your request that is more closely
connected to the functions of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon. Ordinarily, under
section 14 of the Act, I would transfer part one of your request to the Prime Minister.
However, I am aware that you sent the same request to the Prime Minister, and so I refer
you to the Prime Minister’s forthcoming response to your request.
I can advise that DPMC has carried out a search of its electronic databases for information in
scope of parts two, three, and four of your request. No information has been identified as
within scope of parts two, three, and four of your request. Accordingly, these parts of your
request are refused under section 18(e) of the Act as the information requested do not exist.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
We do not intend to publish this response on the DPMC website.
Nāku noa, nā
Alan Cassidy
Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate
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