Dear Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities,

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I am requesting information.
I continue to be concerned about Kainga Ora employment practices as per previous and other OIA requests not just by me.
I am a New Zealand citizen located physically in New Zealand.

With OIA I have asked about hiring of direct reports to the CIO (including all types - employee, contractor etc). On this OIA request you notified last on 16 April that you would answer, but then did not. June 8 you reply claiming 23 April but no record of that on FYI.

This time you must meet OIA timeframe. There are existing OIA on this topic so there are no reasons to delay.

On FYI June 8 you finally say that the CIO “knew two individuals prior to their tenure”. You say “Both individuals were engaged as contractors for specific short-term work…to deliver discrete time-bound pieces of work requiring specialist expertise and specific outcomes, separate from permanent or fixed-term positions…sourcing of engagement of contractors for specialist, short-term work”. You also say there was no advertisement of these roles so no internal applicants could apply and “subsequently no internal applicants to interview”. The CIO is hiring friends.

As of today, 25 June 2026, of those two previously known to the CIO and engaged for short-term work for specific time-bound pieces of work this OIA request is for answers to the questions:

1 - What is the employment status of the two previously known to the CIO prior to working at KO?

2 - Are the 2 still working at Kāinga Ora as Contractors?

3 - If they are then what is the end date of their ‘short-term/time-bound work’?

3 - If the 2 are not still at KO as Contractors are they employees now as of 25 June 2026?

4 - If they are employees (of any format fixed-term, permanent, or other), was the CIO involved in any way with their employee appointment?

5 - If they are employees, how many internal candidates were short-listed for the jobs?

It appears the CIO of KO is hiring his mates with the excuse of needing short term special Contract expertise, but really it is a way to get mates in. This is same as CEO OIA requests where the previous CEO Matt Crockett told many staff he knew his friend the now CEO Tracey Taylor previously to hiring her. KO hiring is not independently.

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To avoid withholding under section 9(2)(a), I am NOT requesting names.

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Format
I am happy to receive this information in electronic format.
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Withholding Grounds
If any information is withheld, please specify the exact section(s) of the OIA relied upon for each piece withheld and explanation for what grounds support these withholdings. Partial release is preferred over full withholding. For information that is withheld I request a summary of what is withheld.

Regards,
GanMa