Information in regard to media classified as, "accredited media".
P Shaw made this Official Information request to Jacinda Ardern
The request was partially successful.
From: P Shaw
Dear Jacinda Ardern,
Recently, in a press conference in the community, Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern referred to only taking questions from "accredited media", when asked questions from a small independent media company (New Zealand Business Number: 9429049293890).
I would like to request the following information:
1). An up-to-date list of the accredited media that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern referred to, but not including the press gallery membership list as I already have that information.
2). Any information regarding the application process by which a New Zealand media company, such as the company mentioned above, must complete to become an accredited media organization recognized by the New Zealand Parliament so that they may participate in parliamentary press conferences. Again, to be clear, I am not asking for information related to the process of becoming a press gallery member.
Yours faithfully,
P Shaw
From: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Kia ora
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern.
If you are writing about an issue relating to COVID-19, mental health,
Immigration, housing or benefit assistance, here's a list of links that
you might find helpful:
For queries around Managed Isolation availability and/or exemptions:
miq.govt.nz
If you are overseas and need assistance please contact your nearest New
Zealand Embassy or Consulate. Contact details are listed in each
destination page on the SafeTravel website:
[1]https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
. For urgent consular assistance after-hours please contact +64 99 20 20
20 (monitored 24 hours a day).
For immigration and visa advice: contact the call centre which is open
6:00am Monday to midnight on Saturday (NZT).
[2]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
For urgent housing or benefit enquiries:
∙ Call 0800 559 009 (for under 65)
∙ Call 0800 552 002 (for over 65)
If you need treatment or support for your health or wellbeing, the
following options are available.
Healthline – You can call Healthline for health advice on freephone 0800
611 116 at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Healthline staff
can advise you on the best thing to do in your situation, including which
services are near you and open.
1737 – If you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling, you can
call or text 1737 for free at any time to talk to a trained counsellor.
Mental health crisis teams – If you are concerned that someone is going to
hurt themselves or someone else, you can call your local mental health
crisis team. A full list of numbers is available here:
[3]www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/mental-health-services/crisis-assessment-teams
For Police assistance In an emergency call 111.
For everything else use 105.
You can also make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz
We hope that one of the above links helps answer your question, if not we
will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you again
Office of the Prime Minister
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
2. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
3. http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/se...
From: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
I am writing on behalf of the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, to acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act request.
Your request will be responded to under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982.
Yours sincerely
Dinah Okeby
Office of the Prime Minister
show quoted sections
From: P Shaw
Dear Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern,
Good morning, I see that this request is due today. I trust that this request will be answered according to the provisions within the Official Information Act 1982.
Again, if you can send any information on how media organizations are given accreditation by the New Zealand government so that they are able to ask members of the New Zealand government, including the Prime Minister, questions that are in the public interest.
As I stated, I am interested in information related to 'accreditation' of media who are approved to ask questions of members whilst the members are outside of the parliamentary campus in Wellington. I am interested in how small independent media organizations, especially those that lack government funding, gain this accreditation so they can ask their questions to members of parliament whilst those members of parliament, including the Prime Minister, visit the communities they serve. I would also like a list of the currently accredited media organizations that are approved to ask questions of members of parliament whilst they are in the community.
Yours sincerely,
P Shaw
From: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Kia ora
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern.
If you are writing about an issue relating to COVID-19, mental health,
Immigration, housing or benefit assistance, here's a list of links that
you might find helpful:
For queries around Managed Isolation availability and/or exemptions:
miq.govt.nz
If you are overseas and need assistance please contact your nearest New
Zealand Embassy or Consulate. Contact details are listed in each
destination page on the SafeTravel website:
[1]https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
. For urgent consular assistance after-hours please contact +64 99 20 20
20 (monitored 24 hours a day).
For immigration and visa advice: contact the call centre which is open
6:00am Monday to midnight on Saturday (NZT).
[2]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
For urgent housing or benefit enquiries:
∙ Call 0800 559 009 (for under 65)
∙ Call 0800 552 002 (for over 65)
If you need treatment or support for your health or wellbeing, the
following options are available.
Healthline – You can call Healthline for health advice on freephone 0800
611 116 at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Healthline staff
can advise you on the best thing to do in your situation, including which
services are near you and open.
1737 – If you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling, you can
call or text 1737 for free at any time to talk to a trained counsellor.
Mental health crisis teams – If you are concerned that someone is going to
hurt themselves or someone else, you can call your local mental health
crisis team. A full list of numbers is available here:
[3]www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/mental-health-services/crisis-assessment-teams
For Police assistance In an emergency call 111.
For everything else use 105.
You can also make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz
We hope that one of the above links helps answer your question, if not we
will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you again
Office of the Prime Minister
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
2. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
3. http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/se...
From: J Ardern (MIN)
Jacinda Ardern
Tēnā koe,
On behalf of Raj Nahna, I attach a letter in response to your OIA request.
Ngā mihi,
Private Secretary (Executive Support)
Office of the Prime Minister
Authorised by Rt. Hon Jacinda Ardern MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: P Shaw
Dear J Ardern (MIN),
I would like to give you the chance to respond prior to requesting the Ombudsman review and investigate this decision.
The Prime Minister specifically made reference to those that are accredited, and those that are not. Forgive me for assuming that, for the Prime Minister to make such a statement of fact, the Prime Minister must have been briefed on who are 'accredited media' and who are not. Am I wrong in assuming that the Prime Minister has been briefed on this matter, or were the remarks of the Prime Minister used in a disingenuous attempt to avoid answering a difficult question? If the latter is true, then I am happy to let this request go unanswered. However, if the Prime Minister has been briefed about who are 'accredited media', and who are not, then I would like to see that briefing material that the Prime Minister has received. Secondly, I specifically stated that I did not want any information on the parliamentary press gallery membership, which you proceeded to give me. I was specifically interested in anyone who is a member of the New Zealand public, and who is also an employee of a small New Zealand media company, and whether they are allowed to ask the Prime Minister a question while she is out in the community and be treated with the respect that any member of the New Zealand public deserves. From the Prime Minister's remarks, it seems that unapproved members of the public are not allowed to ask a question, and in this case, were not only denied the opportunity to engage with the Prime Minister but were conversely treated with utter disrespect.
So far, the answer you have given does not look good for government accountability and transparency in New Zealand. You have stated that,
"Applications to be a member of the press gallery, and the accreditation process is overseen by the Chair of the Press Gallery, and the Speakers Office. However, the Prime Minister's Office is unable to transfer your request for information to them because they are not covered by the Act."
What you have told me, through your response, is that there is no room for public scrutiny of the accreditation process of the media that report to the New Zealand public on the activities of the New Zealand government. Furthermore, through the remarks and actions of the Prime Minister, it is apparent that anyone outside of this ‘accredited’ circle may be disrespected and belittled in the face of the New Zealand public at the whim of the Prime Minister.
In my analysis, this sounds like a case of 'the emperor has no clothes'. I am told to 'trust' the government is the 'one source of truth', but all those that report on, and keep that one source of truth accountable, are all screened by an ‘accreditation’ process that is out of reach of public scrutiny and is maintained by the Office of the Speaker, who is also a member of the current government. Might I also add that many of these journalists are funded by the New Zealand government and they therefore have a conflict of interest when it comes to reporting on ‘the hand that feeds them’. In contrast, those small independent journalists lacking any conflict of interest with the government that are asking questions that are in the public's interest are fobbed off as unaccredited hecklers. So please, forward on any briefing that the Prime Minister may have received in regards to this matter, and until I see the evidence, forgive me for placing the current government and it's self selected media apparatus in the category of propaganda, for the collective body of evidence as it stands, points to this effect.
Yours sincerely,
P Shaw
From: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Kia ora
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern.
If you are writing about an issue relating to COVID-19, mental health,
Immigration, housing or benefit assistance, here's a list of links that
you might find helpful:
For queries around Managed Isolation availability and/or exemptions:
miq.govt.nz
If you are overseas and need assistance please contact your nearest New
Zealand Embassy or Consulate. Contact details are listed in each
destination page on the SafeTravel website:
[1]https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
. For urgent consular assistance after-hours please contact +64 99 20 20
20 (monitored 24 hours a day).
For immigration and visa advice: contact the call centre which is open
6:00am Monday to midnight on Saturday (NZT).
[2]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
For urgent housing or benefit enquiries:
∙ Call 0800 559 009 (for under 65)
∙ Call 0800 552 002 (for over 65)
If you need treatment or support for your health or wellbeing, the
following options are available.
Healthline – You can call Healthline for health advice on freephone 0800
611 116 at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Healthline staff
can advise you on the best thing to do in your situation, including which
services are near you and open.
1737 – If you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling, you can
call or text 1737 for free at any time to talk to a trained counsellor.
Mental health crisis teams – If you are concerned that someone is going to
hurt themselves or someone else, you can call your local mental health
crisis team. A full list of numbers is available here:
[3]www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/mental-health-services/crisis-assessment-teams
For Police assistance In an emergency call 111.
For everything else use 105.
You can also make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz
We hope that one of the above links helps answer your question, if not we
will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you again
Office of the Prime Minister
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/covi...
2. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact
3. http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/se...
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