information relating to previous request - Regulatory Standards Bill
Aaron W made this Official Information request to David Seymour
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Aaron W to read a recent response and update the status.
From: Aaron W
Kia ora Minister Seymour,
please provide all information pertaining to the response to this request: https://fyi.org.nz/request/31208-all-inf...
This request is intended to cover all commissioning, discussion about response etc. This would also include information which is known to an agency but has not yet been written down (so discussions between office staff). Please provide a record of all discussions relating to this request.
I am interested in why this took 20 days to respond to and to decide that this information didn't exist.
I am also interested in confirmation that as Minister, you hold no information confirming public support for the Regulatory Standards Bill? That seems surprising given the large amount of media on this support which presumably has brought with it correspondence to your Office. It also seems crazy to say that there is a mandate for this Bill when you don't have any evidence to support this.
Can I also please request all talking points, preparatory material, media briefings to support your appearance with RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/5629...
Yours faithfully,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
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Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
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From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Dear Aaron
Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information
Act request as follows:
“please provide all information pertaining to the response to this
request:
[1]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
This request is intended to cover all commissioning, discussion about
response etc. This would also include information which is known to an
agency but has not yet been written down (so discussions between office
staff). Please provide a record of all discussions relating to this
request.”
We received your request on Tuesday 8 July 2025. We will endeavour to
respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than
Tuesday 5 August 2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
Deputy Prime Minister
[2]A pink and
white emblem Minister for Regulation
with two women Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
holding flags of Finance
Description
automatically Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
generated Justice
DDI 04 817 6333 | 7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament
Buildings
DSOIA549
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
This request is now overdue. Please address urgently.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Dear Aaron
We refer to your information request of 8 July 2025.
The Office has decided to extend the period of time available to respond
to your request under section 15A of the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act) as the consultations necessary to make a decision on the request
are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made
within the original time limit.
You can now expect a response to your request on, or before 19 August
2025. This date is a further 10 working days.
You have the right, under section 28 of the Act, to ask the Ombudsman to
review the Office’s decision to extend the time available to respond to
your request.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
Deputy Prime Minister
[1]A pink and
white emblem Minister for Regulation
with two women Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
holding flags of Finance
Description
automatically Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
generated Justice
DDI 04 817 6333 | 7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament
Buildings
DSOIA549
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
You cannot extend a request once a request is late, as this request is.
Can you please identify who consultations are with? The Ombudsman has consistently noted that internal consultations are not considered legitimate for the purposes of consultation.
Finally, you refused the request as the information does not exist - how is it possible that you need additional time?
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour,
Can you please address my question relating to the justification for the extension?
As noted, this extension was made after the response was overdue, meaning that your office is non-compliant with the legislation. This is disappointing from a Minister who advocates for the rule of law but appears not to follow it himself.
Yours faithfully,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour,
This request is now past the unlawfully extended deadline.
Can you please provide a response to this request as soon as practicable? You also have not addressed the additional questions I have raised.
The Ombudsman notes that the requester tries to seek a resolution with the entity before engaging his Office, so please advise whether you intend to comply with the legislation and if so, when.
Yours faithfully,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Dear Aaron
We acknowledge your emails about your information request. Please be
assured we are working on your queries and will endeavour to reply as soon
as possible.
Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
Deputy Prime Minister
[1]A pink and
white emblem Minister for Regulation
with two women Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
holding flags of Finance
Description
automatically Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
generated Justice
DDI 04 817 6333 | 7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament
Buildings
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
It is now approaching two weeks since you unlawfully extended my request - on a seemingly dubious basis. Can you please advise an actual date on when you plan on responding? As mentioned, the Ombudsman asks that reasonable attempts are made to engage before making a complaint to that Office. However it does not appear that any response is imminent. I would accept the response in stages if there is a particularly tricky part of the response that is holding everything up?
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Hello Aaron
I have been in touch with David’s team working on your request and a
response should be to you early next week.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
Deputy Prime Minister
[1]A pink and
white emblem Minister for Regulation
with two women Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
holding flags of Finance
Description
automatically Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
generated Justice
DDI 04 817 6333 | 7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament
Buildings
DSOIA
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
It is now past “early next week” as you have advised. This is pretty ridiculous. For a government that loves to use urgency as much as possible, I’m not quite sure what could be taking so long? It doesn’t seem like a particularly onerous request. Your office illegally extended the request, then didn’t meet the new dealine, and now seems content to just ignore the legislation all together?
Can you please advise what the hold up is? Or better yet, respond to my request?
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
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Dear Aaron
Please find attached response to your information request in July 2025.
Some of the information contained in released documents has been withheld
Under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA, to protect the privacy of natural
persons.
We apologise for the delayed reply.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
[1]A pink and Deputy Prime Minister
white emblem
with two women Minister for Regulation
holding flags Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
Description of Finance
automatically
generated Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
Justice
7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings
DSOIA549
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
Thanks for your belated reply.
This response doesn't really make sense and is pretty odd.
1. You did not address who you needed to consult with in making the (illegal) extension. I asked you that on multiple occasions. Your response does not answer this.
2. I asked for information pertaining to this initial request. If you recall the initial request asked for (in part): all evidence held by your Office that shows public support for the Regulatory Standards Bill. You refused this as you claim the information did not exist.
This subsequent request was to inquire as to how made the decision to refuse the request. What you've provided me (after several weeks) is a copy of 22 pages of material that appears to answer my original request (albeit most of it appears to be press articles). So why was it refused in the first instance as the information 'doesn't exist' when it clearly does? On which occasion did you mislead?
3. I consider this current request was very clear yet it has not been answered. It asked:
"Please provide all information pertaining to the response to this request:
I am interested in why this took 20 days to respond to and to decide that this information didn't exist.
This request is intended to cover all commissioning, discussion about response etc. This would also include information which is known to an agency but has not yet been written down (so discussions between office staff). Please provide a record of all discussions relating to this request."
The material provided gives no information as to how your office ascertained this should be a full refusal. I expect at the very least records of a phone call, email or even a file note which confirmed the approach to refuse the request in full. Given the length of time you have taken this is a very poor response - particularly from the Deputy Prime Minister.
As far as I am concerned this request (which asked for information about how you responded to my earlier request) remains unaddressed. Can you please advise when you will provide the information as requested, or confirmation that you will not be answering this request and I will raise the matter with the Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour,
Can you please respond to my questions. My request remains unanswered
Yours faithfully,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Hello Aaron
Your further email request has been noted and sent to our Regulation team
for a further response to you.
We are working on it and will have a reply as soon as possible to you.
Kind regards
Office of Hon David Seymour
[1]A pink and Deputy Prime Minister
white emblem
with two women Minister for Regulation
holding flags Associate Minister of Education | Associate Minister
Description of Finance
automatically
generated Associate Minister of Health | Associate Minister of
Justice
7.6 Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings
show quoted sections
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour (MIN),
Thank you for your email. This is not a further request. This is the same request I have now been waiting for weeks. It seems ironic that the stated claim on the Regulatory Standards Bill is to reduce red tape and force transparency, but this exchange appears to demonstrate neither.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
From: Aaron W
Dear David Seymour,
It has now been a further week while I wait for my initial question to be answered. Can you please provide a indication of when my request will be answered?
Yours faithfully,
Aaron W
From: David Seymour (MIN)
David Seymour
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon David Seymour. While David
considers all correspondence to be important, and all messages are read
and considered, it’s not always possible to provide a personal response.
• Correspondence about David’s ministerial portfolios will be considered
and responded to as appropriate
• If you are sending an invitation, please contact
[email address] who manages the Minister’s calendar
• If you live in the Epsom electorate, please contact
[email address]
• If you have a question about ACT Party policy, please contact
[email address]
• If you have copied your email to a Minister or MP with responsibility
for the issue you have raised, your message will be noted
• If you have made a request for official information, it will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act.
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