Request for information about Mr Rex Woodhouse's past employment with the Accident Compensation Corporation and any other ACC owned subsidiary.

David Lawson made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Accident Compensation Corporation should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: David Lawson

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

I am writing to respectfully request the following official information with respect to Mr Rex Woodhouse's prior employment and or contracted services with the Accident Compensation Corporation. Mr Rex Woodhouse provided services as a Reviewer in matters under review for reviews 5493585; 5440089, 5491095, 5441587, 5440587 and 5447597.

OIA Request 1:

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse has previously been employed by the Accident Compensation Corporation.

OIA Request 2:

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 1 confirms that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by the Accident Compensation Corporation ("ACC"), please provide official information confirming the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse first commenced employment with ACC and the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse ceased working for ACC.

OIA Request 3:

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 1 confirms that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by the ACC, please provide official information confirming what role/s Mr Woodhouse undertook on behalf of the Corporation during his period of employment with ACC.

OIA Request 4:

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse has previously been employed by ACC's formerly owned subsidiary Disputes Resolution Services Limited ("DRSL").

OIA Request 5:

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 4 confirms that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by ACC's formerly owned subsidiary DRSL, please provide official information confirming the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse first commenced employment with DRSL and the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse ceased working for DRSL.

OIA Request 6:

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 4 confirms that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by ACC's formerly owned subsidiary DRSL, please provide official information confirming what role/s Mr Woodhouse undertook on behalf of DRSL during the period Mr Woodhouse was employed by DRSL.

OIA Request 7

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse has previously been employed by any other previously owned ACC subsidiaries, other than ACC and DRSL, together with confirmation of Mr Rex Woodhouse's period of employment, and Mr Woodhouse's role/s for which he undertook on behalf of any other previously owned ACC subsidiaries, other than ACC and DRSL.

I welcome the provision of the above official information under urgency by the end of business close on the 2 October 2018, so as to allow me to be able to discuss with pending legal counsel yet to be arranged, options available to me to address a number of procedural and review matters relating to Mr Rex Woodhouse's direct involvement in matters under review for reviews 5493585; 5440089, 5491095, 5441587, 5440587 and 5447597.

I thank you for your time and assistance and confirm that under s16(2) of the Official Information Act, my preferred way of receiving a response is by email to the address from which ACC received the original request, not by post.

Yours faithfully,

David Lawson

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Dear Mr Lawson

 

I refer to your request of 20 September 2018, asking for the following
information:

 

OIA Request 1:

 

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse
has previously been employed by the Accident Compensation Corporation.

 

OIA Request 2:

 

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 1 confirms
that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by the Accident
Compensation Corporation ("ACC"), please provide official information
confirming the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse first commenced
employment with ACC and the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse
ceased working for ACC.

 

OIA Request 3:

 

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 1 confirms
that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by the ACC, please
provide official information confirming what role/s Mr Woodhouse undertook
on behalf of the Corporation during his period of employment with ACC.

 

OIA Request 4:

 

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse
has previously been employed by ACC's formerly owned subsidiary Disputes
Resolution Services Limited ("DRSL").

 

OIA Request 5:

 

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 4 confirms
that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by ACC's formerly owned
subsidiary DRSL, please provide official information confirming the day,
month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse first commenced employment with DRSL
and the day, month and year that Mr Rex Woodhouse ceased working for DRSL.

 

OIA Request 6:

 

If the official information provided in response to OIA Request 4 confirms
that Mr Rex Woodhouse had been previously employed by ACC's formerly owned
subsidiary DRSL, please provide official information confirming what
role/s Mr Woodhouse undertook on behalf of DRSL during the period Mr
Woodhouse was employed by DRSL.

 

OIA Request 7

 

Please provide official information confirming whether Mr Rex Woodhouse
has previously been employed by any other previously owned ACC
subsidiaries, other than ACC and DRSL, together with confirmation of Mr
Rex Woodhouse's period of employment, and Mr Woodhouse's role/s for which
he undertook on behalf of any other previously owned ACC subsidiaries,
other than ACC and DRSL.

 

ACC is working on your request and will be in touch with you as soon as
possible, and certainly by 18 October 2018.

 

As your request regards an individual, we intend to consult with that
person about your request.

 

As part of this consultation, we intend to advise the identity of the
requestor.

 

Please note, that the Ombudsman has provided recent guidance on
consultation with third parties, and noted that the identity of the
requestor ‘…may well be relevant to whether the third parties [in this
case, Mr Rex Woodhouse] has any concerns about disclosure.’ 

 

Noting this, could you please advise if you have any concerns about us
identifying you as the requestor to Mr Woodhouse.

 

Regards

Government Engagement and Support

 

 

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From: David Lawson

Dear Government Services,

Thank you for your acknowledgement of my OIA request of 20 September 2018 titled "Request for information about Mr Rex Woodhouse's past employment with the Accident Compensation Corporation and any other ACC owned subsidiary."

I note with interest your comment in your response of 25 September 2018 as quoted below;

Please note, that the Ombudsman has provided recent guidance on
consultation with third parties, and noted that the identity of the
requestor ‘…may well be relevant to whether the third parties [in this
case, Mr Rex Woodhouse] has any concerns about disclosure.’

To allow me to reply to your requests for further information in an informed manner, I welcome under urgency, within the next 24 hours your provision of a dated copy, together with confirmation of the source publication, of the recent guidance that the Ombudsman has provided recently on consultation with third parties, where the Ombudsman has noted that the identity of the requestor ‘…may well be relevant to whether the third parties has any concerns about disclosure.

I also welcome confirmation as to where I can publicly find a copy of the Ombudsman's guidance that you have referred to in connection with my OIA request.

I look forward to receiving your response within the next 24 hours under urgency with the reasons being that;

(i) you have obviously access to the recent ombudsman's guidance to be able to refer to it, but have chosen not to make a copy of this information available for my reference and my ability to be able to establish the validity, and the context in which the Ombudsman's comments as reported by yourself have been applied for me to be able to reasonably ascertain if they apply to my current OIA request, and

(ii) to ensure that the Corporation's response to my primary OIA request is not further unreasonably delayed by the non provision to me of a copy of the Ombudsman's recent guidance on consultation with third parties, that noted that the identity of the requestor ‘…may well be relevant to whether the third parties has any concerns about disclosure, by the Corporation to which the Corporation has referred to in order to seek further information.’

I thank you for your time and assistance and confirm that under s16(2) of the Official Information Act, my preferred way of receiving a response is by email to the address from which ACC received the original request, not by post.

Yours sincerely,

David Lawson

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Dear Mr Lawson

Thank you for responding to our email dated 25 September 2018.

The Ombudsman advises that good administrative practice is to advise the requester of the intended consultation first to check that there are no genuine concerns about disclosure of the requester’s identity. If the requester wishes to remain anonymous, the agency should consider whether there is a reasonable basis for non-disclosure given that the identity of the requester may often be a relevant factor for a third party in identifying any concerns with release of the information requested.

The Ombudsman’s guidance referred to above and in our previous email can be found using the link below:

The OIA for Ministers and agencies (page 27)
http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/syste...

Please note we have recently reviewed our practices and have decided to include a statement in our acknowledgment emails to ensure that requesters are aware that we may provide their name should we need to consult with a third party regarding their request and to advise us if they have any concerns with their name being disclosed.

Kind regards
Governance Engagement & Support

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: David Lawson

Dear Government Services,

Thank you for your speedy reply, it will be helpful to be able to understand the Ombudsman's guidance
and once I have had the chance to read it in full I will come back to you in response to your requests of 25 September 2018.

Once again thank you for your timely assistance in this matter.

Kind regards,

David Lawson

Link to this

From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Dear Mr Lawson

We are still yet to hear from you following your email of 27 September 2018.

Can you please advise by 11 October 2018 if you have any concerns with your name being disclosed with a third party regarding your request.

Kind regards
Government Engagement & Support

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation


Attachment 52762 FYI Response.pdf
363K Download View as HTML


Dear Mr Lawson

Attached is ACC’s response to your request of 20 September 2018

Yours sincerely

Government Engagement & Support

Disclaimer:

"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Accident Compensation Corporation only: