Good afternoon Hamish

 

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will
be provided as soon as possible and no later than 6 August 2026.

 

Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the
wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force
website ([1]www.nzdf.mil.nz).

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa

[2]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Rev. Hamish Kirk
[[3]mailto:[FOI #35041 email]]

Sent: Wednesday, 8 July 2026 12:10 p.m.

To: Ministerial Services <[4][NZDF request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - Hon Chris Penk and NZDF Chaplaincy
Review

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [5][email address] and then delete the email from
your Inbox. Thank you

 

 

Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

 

The Hon Chris Penk wrote to me on 28 April 26, and I quote- I have been
advised that a further review was conducted and relevant actions taken as
a result.  I am further advised that the NZDF Chaplaincy has changed its
leadership and practices since your case highlighted the issues of note.

 

Concerning NZDF Chaplaincy, and the letter from the Hon Chris Penk, the
information I request is;

1) How long did the review take?

2) Apart from the Principal Defence Chaplain (PDC), how many other
chaplains had input into the review and what was their rank?

3) Did any members of ChDAC have input into the review?

4) What relevant actions were taken as a result of the review?

5) What changes are there in Chaplaincy Leadership since the review?

6) What practices have changed or new practices been instigated since the
review?

5) I request a copy of any changes to rules, procedures, DFOs, Chaplain
regulations, handbooks that have occurred as a result of relevant actions
taken, as well as the change in leadership and practices intimated to the
Hon Chris Penk by the NZDF.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Rev. Hamish Kirk

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #35041 email]

 

Is [7][NZDF request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to New Zealand Defence Force? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[8]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received
this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
2. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #35041 email]
4. mailto:[NZDF request email]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #35041 email]
7. mailto:[NZDF request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Good afternoon Hamish

 

Please see attached our response to your request.

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa

[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

From: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 8 July 2026 3:05 pm
To: '[FOI #35041 email]'
<[FOI #35041 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Hon Chris Penk and NZDF
Chaplaincy Review [UNCLASSIFIED] - OIA-2026-5869

 

Good afternoon Hamish

 

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will
be provided as soon as possible and no later than 6 August 2026.

 

Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the
wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force
website ([2]www.nzdf.mil.nz).

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa

[3]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Rev. Hamish Kirk
[[4]mailto:[FOI #35041 email]]

Sent: Wednesday, 8 July 2026 12:10 p.m.

To: Ministerial Services <[5][NZDF request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - Hon Chris Penk and NZDF Chaplaincy
Review

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [6][email address] and then delete the email from
your Inbox. Thank you

 

 

Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

 

The Hon Chris Penk wrote to me on 28 April 26, and I quote- I have been
advised that a further review was conducted and relevant actions taken as
a result.  I am further advised that the NZDF Chaplaincy has changed its
leadership and practices since your case highlighted the issues of note.

 

Concerning NZDF Chaplaincy, and the letter from the Hon Chris Penk, the
information I request is;

1) How long did the review take?

2) Apart from the Principal Defence Chaplain (PDC), how many other
chaplains had input into the review and what was their rank?

3) Did any members of ChDAC have input into the review?

4) What relevant actions were taken as a result of the review?

5) What changes are there in Chaplaincy Leadership since the review?

6) What practices have changed or new practices been instigated since the
review?

5) I request a copy of any changes to rules, procedures, DFOs, Chaplain
regulations, handbooks that have occurred as a result of relevant actions
taken, as well as the change in leadership and practices intimated to the
Hon Chris Penk by the NZDF.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Rev. Hamish Kirk

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[7][FOI #35041 email]

 

Is [8][NZDF request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to New Zealand Defence Force? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[9]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[10]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received
this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
2. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
3. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
4. mailto:[FOI #35041 email]
5. mailto:[NZDF request email]
6. mailto:[email address]
7. mailto:[FOI #35041 email]
8. mailto:[NZDF request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections