Tēnā koe Scout Barber-Evans

Thank you for your email received 3 February 2016. Your request has been forwarded to the Correspondence Team at National office to respond. You may expect a response to be sent to you as soon as possible.
 
Nā mātou noa, nā

Official and Parliamentary Information team   |  Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake

-----Original Message-----
From: Scout Barbour-Evans [mailto:[FOI #3596 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 3 February 2016 1:15 p.m.
To: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Subject: Official Information Act request - Policies surrounding transgender clients at MSD

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

I reside in New Zealand and am making this Official Information Act request in accordance with s12(1) of the Official Information Act.

I would like to see a copy of the document outlining the Ministry of Social Development's policies on how transgender clients are treated and processed.

I would also like to know, if possible, how often MSD staff are informed of these policies, and whether they are a standard component of regular training sessions.

Yours faithfully,

Scout Barbour-Evans

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This is an OIA request done via the FYI website.

Please do not send progress updates as PDF files.

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This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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Scout Barbour-Evans
[OIA #3596 email]

Tçnâ koe Ms Barbour-Evans

Thank you for your email of 3 February 2016 requesting a copy of the document outlining the Ministry of Social Development's policies on the treatment of transgender clients.

Work and Income National Office is gathering the information you have asked for, and unfortunately, this is taking longer than expected. We would like to assure you that we are working on this matter and the Chief Executive’s office will write to you as soon as possible.

We apologise for the delay. 

Nâ mâtou noa, nâ

Official and Parliamentary Information team   |  Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mâtou he whakamana tangata kia tû haumaru, kia tû kaha, kia tû motuhake

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This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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Dear Ms Barbour-Evans

Attached is the reply to your email of 3 February 2016.

Yours sincerely

Pia Wihapi
Advisor
Ministerial and Executive Services (Correspondence)

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This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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Dear Mx Barbour-Evans

I apologise for previously addressing you as Ms.

I re-iterate, we do not have such a document, as requested by you, that outlines the Ministry of Social Development's policies on the treatment of transgender clients. However, we will be happy to make inquiries into just what was written if you will provide the name of the person who is said to have written this document, and when this document is purported to have been written.

Yours sincerely

Pia Wihapi

-----Original Message-----
From: Scout Barbour-Evans [mailto:[OIA #3596 email]]
Sent: Monday, 7 March 2016 10:46 a.m.
To: Pia Wihapi
Subject: Re: Scout Barbour-Evans

Kia ora Pia Wihapi,

Thank you for your response. Before I go any further, I would like to make it clear that I am not female and I use the honorific "Mx" (pronounced "mix").

I am very surprised that you say there are no documents outlining fair and reasonable treatment towards transgender people by MSD, as I have heard otherwise by an ex staff member who knows the person who wrote it.

I would like to request that you have another look for the information I have requested.

Yours sincerely,

Scout Barbour-Evans

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

Dear Ms Barbour-Evans

Attached is the reply to your email of 3 February 2016.

Yours sincerely

Pia Wihapi
Advisor
Ministerial and Executive Services (Correspondence)

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[OIA #3596 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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

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This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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Dear Mx Barbour-Evans

Thank you for your email

Again, I have to tell you that the Ministry is satisfied that there is no such document.

Yours sincerely

Pia Wihapi

-----Original Message-----
From: Scout Barbour-Evans [mailto:[FOI #3596 email]]
Sent: Friday, 11 March 2016 4:50 p.m.
To: Pia Wihapi
Subject: RE: Scout Barbour-Evans

Kia ora Pia Wihapi,

I have decided that I am not comfortable sharing the name of the ex-employee who wrote the document, as I do not want to hinder their ability to work again at MSD if they are able to again, and I would prefer to protect their privacy.

The document was allegedly written in 2008, and should be continuing to be updated since then. From the perspective of someone who works in support and advocacy for transgender people in Aotearoa, it is incredibly disappointing that this document should become lost.

Yours sincerely,

Scout Barbour-Evans

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

Dear Mx Barbour-Evans

I apologise for previously addressing you as Ms.

I re-iterate, we do not have such a document, as requested by you, that outlines the Ministry of Social Development's policies on the treatment of transgender clients. However, we will be happy to make inquiries into just what was written if you will provide the name of the person who is said to have written this document, and when this document is purported to have been written.

Yours sincerely

Pia Wihapi

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #3596 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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

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

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This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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