Dear  Joshua

On behalf of Hon Todd McClay, thank you for your email of 26 April 2026
which includes as official information request as follows:

 

 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 Office of the
Minister for Trade and Investment 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 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.

For the avoidance of doubt, this request includes communications conducted
on personal devices or non-government accounts where they relate to
official business, in line with the Ombudsman's guidance on the OIA.

 

If any part of this request is considered too broad or would require
substantial collation under section 18(f), I would appreciate the
opportunity to refine the scope rather than have the request refused.
Please contact me before invoking that section.

 

I would prefer to receive the information by email, in its original
electronic format where possible.

 

I note the statutory timeframe of 20 working days under section 15(1) of
the Act and look forward to your response.

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was
received.  

If we are unable to respond to your request within the appropriate
timeframe, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If your
OIA request requires full or part transfer, we will contact you within the
required timeframe.

Kind regards

 

Office of Hon. Todd McClay | MP for Rotorua

Minister of Agriculture | Minister of Forestry | Minister for Trade and
Investment

Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

E: [1][Todd McClay request email]

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Riley <[FYI request #34548 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 26 April 2026 8:22 pm
To: Todd McClay (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: OIA0296 | Official Information request - Official Information Act
1982 request — communications regarding social media amplification of
India FTA messaging

 

I am making this request under the Official Information Act 1982.

 

I request the following information held by the  the Office of the
Minister for Trade and Investment, 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 Office of the
Minister for Trade and Investment 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 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.

For the avoidance of doubt, this request includes communications conducted
on personal devices or non-government accounts where they relate to
official business, in line with the Ombudsman's guidance on the OIA.

 

If any part of this request is considered too broad or would require
substantial collation under section 18(f), I would appreciate the
opportunity to refine the scope rather than have the request refused.
Please contact me before invoking that section.

 

I would prefer to receive the information by email, in its original
electronic format where possible.

 

I note the statutory timeframe of 20 working days under section 15(1) of
the Act and look forward to your response.

 

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

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[2][FYI request #34548 email]

 

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