Official Information Act 1982 request: communications with B416 and its members
Joshua Riley made this Official Information request to Erica Stanford
Response to this request is delayed. By law, Erica Stanford should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)
From: Joshua Riley
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following:
All communications - including but not limited to emails, text/SMS messages, instant
or direct messages on any platform (including but not limited to Signal, WhatsApp,
Messenger and iMessage), letters, briefings, aide-mémoire, meeting invitations, calendar
entries, meeting notes, minutes and file notes - sent to, sent by, or copying the Minister, Hon Erica Stanford, and/or any member of her ministerial staff, on the one hand, and any of the following on the other hand:
• B416 (including the B416 campaign/organisation);
• Cecilia Robinson;
• Anna Mowbray;
• Anna Curzon;
• Blair Knight;
• Malindi MacLean;
• any other director, officer, employee, member, representative or agent of B416;
• the author and the presenter of the aide-mémoire provided to the Prime Minister
on or about 17 April 2025 concerning restricting social media access for under-16s.
Period: 1 January 2025 to the date this request is processed.
For the avoidance of doubt, this request specifically includes:
1. communications held on personal devices or personal accounts that relate to official
business (consistent with the Ombudsman's guidance that the medium does not determine
whether information is "official information");
2. the aide-mémoire of on or about 17 April 2025, together with any drafts, attachments
and related correspondence;
3. internal communications among Ministers, ministerial staff and/or officials that
forward, discuss or respond to any communication from or about B416 or its members;
4. records of telephone calls or meetings (including calendar entries and notes)
involving any of the above parties.
These are four separate requests to four separate holders (the Office of the Prime
Minister, Hon Erica Stanford, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Internal
Affairs), each of which holds distinct information. I ask that this request be answered
on the basis of the information held by the agency/office to which it is addressed, and
not consolidated with, or transferred wholesale to, another agency for a single combined
response. I accept that section 14 may require transferring specific information that is
held by, or more closely connected to, another agency; where that occurs, please notify
me which information has been transferred, to whom, and the basis for it, and answer the
remainder yourself.
I anticipate that s9(2)(a) may be considered. I note that it is subject to the public-interest test in s9(1). These are communications between Ministers/officials and an organised group lobbying to shape legislation — a matter in which the public interest in disclosure is high — and the individuals concerned have advocated publicly on this issue, including a public launch event with the Prime Minister, so any privacy interest is limited. Comparable material has already been released under the OIA. Where any genuinely personal detail (for example, a private phone number) is present, I ask that it be redacted rather than used to withhold entire communications. On balance, I consider that the public interest favours release.
If any part of this request is refused, please cite the specific section of the Act
relied on and release the balance. If you consider the request too large or insufficiently
particular, please contact me to refine it (rather than declining under section 18(f)).
I would appreciate a response in electronic form within the statutory 20 working days.
Please contact me if any aspect needs clarification.
From: Erica Stanford (MIN)
Erica Stanford
Thank you for contacting the Office of Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of
Education, Minister of Immigration, Lead Coordination Minister for the
Government's Response to the Royal Commission's Report into Historical
Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, and
Member of Parliament for East Coast Bays.
We appreciate you reaching out – the Minister considers all correspondence
to be important, and all messages are carefully read and considered.
Please do note it is not always possible to provide a personal response to
every email received. Personal views, feedback and suggestions are
gratefully received and will be passed on to the Minister and/or relevant
Agencies.
Please note the following to help us direct your correspondence:
· If you are seeking ministerial intervention for an immigration
case, you need to seek this from the Associate Minister of Immigration,
Hon Cameron Brewer. His email is [1][email address]. Minister
Stanford is unable to comment on individual cases.
· Emails relating to education matters that are operational in
nature will be transferred to the Ministry of Education (or other agency).
Minister Stanford is unable to comment on individual cases. You can
contact the Ministry directly at: [email address]
· For assistance related to historical abuse in state care, please
contact the Survivor Experiences Team at
[email address].
· If you have invited Minister Stanford to an event, or requested a
meeting, a member of staff may contact you for more information.
· Official Information or Privacy Act requests will be managed under
the relevant Acts, which may include transfer to another Agency.
· If you are a journalist, your request will be referred to the
Press Secretary.
· If you are a constituent of East Coast Bays, your email will be
shared with the Electorate Office.
Thank you again for writing to Minister Stanford.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
Reception: +64 4 817 6805 | Ministerial Email:
[2][Erica Stanford request email] |
Web: beehive.govt.nz | Post: Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Erica Stanford request email]
From: Erica Stanford (MIN)
Erica Stanford
OIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Dear Joshua,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request,
received on 23.06.26, in which you requested the following information:
All communications - including but not limited to emails, text/SMS
messages, instant or direct messages on any platform (including but not
limited to Signal, WhatsApp, Messenger and iMessage), letters, briefings,
aide-mémoire, meeting invitations, calendar entries, meeting notes,
minutes and file notes - sent to, sent by, or copying the Minister, Hon
Erica Stanford, and/or any member of her ministerial staff, on the one
hand, and any of the following on the other hand:
• B416 (including the B416 campaign/organisation);
• Cecilia Robinson;
• Anna Mowbray;
• Anna Curzon;
• Blair Knight;
• Malindi MacLean;
• any other director, officer, employee, member, representative or agent
of B416;
• the author and the presenter of the aide-mémoire provided to the Prime
Minister
on or about 17 April 2025 concerning restricting social media access
for under-16s.
Period: 1 January 2025 to the date this request is processed.
For the avoidance of doubt, this request specifically includes:
1. communications held on personal devices or personal accounts that
relate to official
business (consistent with the Ombudsman's guidance that the medium
does not determine
whether information is "official information");
2. the aide-mémoire of on or about 17 April 2025, together with any
drafts, attachments
and related correspondence;
3. internal communications among Ministers, ministerial staff and/or
officials that
forward, discuss or respond to any communication from or about B416
or its members;
4. records of telephone calls or meetings (including calendar entries
and notes)
involving any of the above parties.
Your request will be answered within the provisions of the Official
Information Act.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
MP for East Coast Bays
Minister of Education
Minister of Immigration
Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal
Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care
of Faith-based Institutions
Website: [1]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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.
show quoted sections
From: Erica Stanford (MIN)
Erica Stanford
Kia ora Joshua,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request,
received on 23 June 2026.
The Official Information Act requires that we advise you of our decision
on your request no later than 20 working days after the day we received
your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time
limit and we are therefore writing to notify you of an extension of the
time to make our decision, to 31 July 2026 under Section 15A(1)(b), to
undertake consultations necessary to make a decision on the request.
We will endeavour to get this response to you as soon as possible.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
our decision to extend the time limit. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
MP for East Coast Bays
Minister of Education
Minister of Immigration
Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal
Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care
of Faith-based Institutions
Website: [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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.
From: Erica Stanford (MIN) <[3][email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 30 June 2026 2:56 PM
To: Joshua Riley <[4][FOI #34946 email]>
Cc: Erica Stanford (MIN) <[5][email address]>
Subject: RE: ESOIA1008 | Official Information request - Official
Information Act 1982 request: communications with B416 and its members
OIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Dear Joshua,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request,
received on 23.06.26, in which you requested the following information:
All communications - including but not limited to emails, text/SMS
messages, instant or direct messages on any platform (including but not
limited to Signal, WhatsApp, Messenger and iMessage), letters, briefings,
aide-mémoire, meeting invitations, calendar entries, meeting notes,
minutes and file notes - sent to, sent by, or copying the Minister, Hon
Erica Stanford, and/or any member of her ministerial staff, on the one
hand, and any of the following on the other hand:
• B416 (including the B416 campaign/organisation);
• Cecilia Robinson;
• Anna Mowbray;
• Anna Curzon;
• Blair Knight;
• Malindi MacLean;
• any other director, officer, employee, member, representative or agent
of B416;
• the author and the presenter of the aide-mémoire provided to the Prime
Minister
on or about 17 April 2025 concerning restricting social media access
for under-16s.
Period: 1 January 2025 to the date this request is processed.
For the avoidance of doubt, this request specifically includes:
1. communications held on personal devices or personal accounts that
relate to official
business (consistent with the Ombudsman's guidance that the medium
does not determine
whether information is "official information");
2. the aide-mémoire of on or about 17 April 2025, together with any
drafts, attachments
and related correspondence;
3. internal communications among Ministers, ministerial staff and/or
officials that
forward, discuss or respond to any communication from or about B416
or its members;
4. records of telephone calls or meetings (including calendar entries
and notes)
involving any of the above parties.
Your request will be answered within the provisions of the Official
Information Act.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
MP for East Coast Bays
Minister of Education
Minister of Immigration
Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal
Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care
of Faith-based Institutions
Website: [6]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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.
show quoted sections
From: Joshua Riley
I'm writing with information to assist the search on my request concerning communications with B416.
To be clear at the outset: this is not an amendment or refinement of my request, and I don't ask that it be treated as one. It is simply information that should help ensure the search captures what is already within scope.
B416 is not the only name this group operates under. As reported by the NZ Herald, the wider initiative operates under the name the Children's Online Safety Society, with B416 as a focused campaign within it. The registered entity is the Before16 Charitable Trust, registered in January 2025.
This matters practically. The aide-mémoire provided to the Prime Minister on 17 April 2025 — released by DPMC and published at https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/f... — was sent under the name Children's Online Safety Society, not B416. A search confined to the term “B416” would not have found it. Since my request covers “any other director, officer, employee, member, representative or agent of B416,” and B416 is a campaign of that society, correspondence under the society's name is correspondence from the same body and is already within scope.
I would therefore be grateful if your searches could include the following terms:
– “B416”, “Before 16”, “Before16”, “Before16 Charitable Trust”, and “Children's Online Safety Society”;
– Cecilia Robinson, Anna Mowbray, Anna Curzon, Blair Knight, Malindi MacLean, and Nicole Green (chief executive);
– Dr Samantha Marsh and Dr Maneesh Deva, named publicly as part of the wider team; and
– Holly Brooker, credited as the source of Appendix 3 to the aide-mémoire, in connection with “Makes Sense”.
I note the society is also described as including a 13-member expert panel and a youth advisory group; if your searches identify other individuals corresponding on the group's behalf under any of these names, I ask that they be treated as within scope.
I appreciate your assistance, and I'm happy to clarify anything further in writing.
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence (note: this contains the same information already available above).
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