31 March 2013
Ombudsman Ref: 589153
DPMC Ref: OIA-2021/22-1529
Harold
By email:
[FYI request #19960 email]
Dear Harold
Official Information Act request for advice relating to Strengthening
New Zealand’s Resilience to Misinformation and Disinformation
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) requests to the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) relating to mis/disinformation. DPMC responded to
your related requests on 26 July 2021, 26 May 2022, and 3 August 2022.
In our response we released a copy of DPMC briefing “
Strengthening New Zealand’s
Resilience to Mis/Disinformation” (January 2021) with some redactions and withheld an
initial, working draft of our strategic framework. You asked the Ombudsman to
investigation information withheld from the briefing under section 9(2)(f)(iv) and the
withholding of the initial working draft framework under section 9(2)(g)(i).
On 9 December 2022 we released some additional information to you as follows:
• Document 1: A revised copy of the DPMC briefing “
Strengthening New Zealand’s
Resilience to Mis/Disinformation” releasing information previously withheld under
section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act.
• Document 2: The initial working draft “
Strategic Framework for Strengthening
New Zealand’s Resilience to Mis- & Disinformation”.
A small amount of additional information was released to you on 17 February 2023 in
Attachment A of Document 1, page 17, paragraph 19 under the heading “
Possible
elements of a strategic framework on disinformation”. I am now releasing the examples
given under this paragraph that were previously withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i) of the
Act.
In addition, I am releasing to you the sentence previously withheld under section
9(2)(g)(i) of the Act in Attachment A of Document 1, Appendix One “
The
mis/disinformation problem”, page 22, paragraph 9.
As noted previously, some parts of these documents continue to be withheld under the
following sections of the Act, as marked in the attached document:
• section 6(a), to protect the security or defence of New Zealand or the
international relations of New Zealand.
• section 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of individuals.
• section 9(2)(b)(ii), to protect the commercial position of the person who supplied
the information, or who is the subject of the information.
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4722469
64 4 817 9700 Facsimile 64 4 472 3181 www.dpmc.govt.nz
• section 9(2)(ba)(i), to protect the supply of similar information in the future, where
information was provided in confidence.
• section 9(2)(f)(iv), to maintain the confidentiality of advice tendered by or to
Ministers and officials.
• section 9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the
free and frank expression of opinion.
• section 9(2)(j), to enable negotiations to be carried on without prejudice or
disadvantage.
Where information has been withheld under section 9 of the Act, no public interest in
releasing the information has been identified that would be sufficient to override the
reasons for withholding it.
I remind you that you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review
my decision under section 28(3) of the Act.
This response may be published on DPMC’s website during our regular publication
cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as otherwise determined. Your
personal information including name and contact details will be removed for
publication.
Yours sincerely
Tony Lynch
Deputy Chief Executive
National Security Group Enc: Release document - revised copy of the DPMC briefing
2
Document Outline