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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Kia ora

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before 11th of August 2026. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].

Ngā mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education | MC education.govt.nz

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Adriana

 

Thank you for your email of 15 July 2026 to the Ministry of Education
requesting the following information:

 

…copies of all internal advice briefs, memos, email correspondence, and
meeting minutes held by the Ministry of Education regarding Te Whânau Tupu
Ngâtahi o Aotearoa – Playcentre Aotearoa (Charity CC37155) concerning the
following:

 1. The Hon. Tracey Martin Conflict:

All documentation concerning the appointment of the Hon. Tracey Martin to
lead an independent review into Playcentre in November 2021. This must
explicitly include any internal risk analysis regarding the conflict of
interest of appointing the exact former Associate Education Minister who
authorised the $3.7 million emergency Crown sustainability grant to
Playcentre in October 2020.

 2. The "Not Fit for Purpose" Report:

A full, unredacted copy of the final report delivered by the Hon. Tracey
Martin to the Ministry of Education, alongside all internal MoE
assessments regarding her conclusion that Playcentre’s structure was "not
fit for purpose, putting the organisation at risk.

 3. Crown Funding of Expanded Executive Remuneration:

All correspondence and monitoring reports examining how Ministry of
Education bulk-funding subsidies were utilised by Playcentre Aotearoa to
expand Senior Management Group payroll from $494,862 in 2020 to $927,000
in 2025, and Trustee honoraria from $38,000 to $129,000, during
consecutive years of multi-million dollar operational deficits and a BDO
"Going Concern" bankruptcy warning.

 4. Tracked Executive Transitions:

All internal Ministry logs or registers tracking the movement of core
Playcentre executives (specifically former General Manager Sean McKinley
and former CFO Marina Cook) into alternative education or public sector
roles following the execution of the 2019 national centralisation
framework.

 5. The 55 Unverified Property Titles:

All correspondence between the Ministry of Education Property Portfolio
unit and Playcentre Aotearoa regarding the 55 buildings and 14 lots of
land flagged by BDO auditors in 2018 as having completely unverified legal
titles of ownership, and any subsequent risk to Crown-funded ECE licensing
criteria for those specific sites.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

 

As it stands, your request is likely to require an extensive search
through a large quantity of information which would require a substantial
amount of time to collate. As such, it is likely that your request would
be refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.

 

To avoid refusing your request, we would be grateful if you could provide
further detail around the nature of the information you are looking for,
so that we might be able to determine the information that is most
meaningful to you.

 

We look forward to hearing from you. Once we have your clarification, we
will commence work on your request.

 

Please note that in line with Section 15 (1AA) of the Act, if a request is
amended or clarified after the date on which it is received, the Ministry
may treat the amended or clarified request as a new request that replaces
the original request.

 

Nâku noa, nâ,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | CM

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2]Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga

 

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Adriana

 

Thank you for your email of 14 July 2026 to the Ministry of Education
requesting the following information:

 

 1. The September 2026 ECE Funding Review & Government Intentions:

All internal advice briefs, draft policy papers, and modelling generated
by the Ministry or the ECE Funding System Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG)
concerning options to alter funding streams for "parent-led" vs
"teacher-led" models.

Any reports or communication notes detailing the Ministry's or Associate
Minister David Seymour’s assessment of the long-term viability of the
Playcentre volunteer model against modern labour market participation
goals.

All financial impact modelling exploring the effect of enforcing "fiscal
neutrality" on non-profit, community, and volunteer-reliant ECE providers
versus commercial operations.

 2. Playcentre Aotearoa’s Financial Position & Deficit:

All internal briefings, risk assessments, and educational reports
generated since 1 January 2025 regarding Playcentre Aotearoa's operational
sustainability and the management of its structural deficit.

Any regional impact reports or licensing compliance modelling held by the
Ministry regarding the specific operational risks to Auckland region
centres following the disestablishment of paid Programme Facilitators.

 3. National Office Governance and Co-Governance Friction:

All correspondence, emails, and meeting minutes between Ministry of
Education officials, Associate Minister David Seymour, and the Playcentre
Aotearoa Trustee Board regarding internal governance disputes or
structural tensions between the co-governance houses (Tangata Tiriti and
Te Whare Tikanga Mâori).

Any correspondence or reports held by the Ministry regarding complaints of
cultural unsafety, systemic racism, or a failure to meet Te Tiriti o
Waitangi or licensing compliance obligations within the Playcentre
Aotearoa National Office leadership.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

 

As it stands, your request is likely to require an extensive search
through a large quantity of information which would require a substantial
amount of time to collate. As such, it is likely that your request would
be refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.

 

To avoid refusing your request, we would be grateful if you could provide
further detail around the nature of the information you are looking for,
so that we might be able to determine the information that is most
meaningful to you.

 

We look forward to hearing from you. Once we have your clarification, we
will commence work on your request.

 

Please note that in line with Section 15 (1AA) of the Act, if a request is
amended or clarified after the date on which it is received, the Ministry
may treat the amended or clarified request as a new request that replaces
the original request.

 

Nâku noa, nâ,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | CM

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2]Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga

 

 

 

 

 

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