10 March 2023
John Luke
[FYI request #21794 email]
Tēnā koe John Luke
On 11 February 2023, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982  (the Act)
information.  You referred to my  letter to you of 25 November 2022 and in
regard to the appointment of Benefits Review Committee (BRC) Community
Representatives for the Auckland region, you asked:
• Has this been completed, please provide any relevant updates regarding
this matter.
• Also, can you please let me know what is your selection process for your
"selection and interviewing panel" and their pay rate.
• Do you call for public nomination for your "selection and interviewing
panel", if so via what means, e.g. jobs.govt.nz.
• Further, please provide the term of reference for your "selection and
interviewing panel"
Unfortunately, since I wrote to you in November last year, recruitment for
BRC Community Representatives  for the Auckland region  has not been
completed. In saying that, however, there is a pool  of Community
Representatives and the BRC continues to carry out its functions.  You are
welcome to write again in about two or three months’ time to enquire about
progress in this matter.
There are  no calls for public nominations for the interviewing and selection
panel.  It may be helpful for you to know that the  selection and interview
panel is temporary and ceases to exist post-selection of the preferred
Community Representative nominees.
There are no terms of reference in relation to the interviewing and selection
panel. Your request is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the Act as the
information you requested is not held by the Ministry and I have no grounds
to believe that the information is either held by or closely connected to the
functions of another department, Minister of the Crown or organisation.

I sent you the pay rates when I wrote to you in November and the
information is still available here: www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-
and-our-work/contact-us/complaints/community-representative-information-
pack.pdf.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which
you made your request are:
• to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work
and activities of the Government,
• to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and
administration of our laws and policies and
• to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry
therefore intends to make the information contained in this letter and any
attached documents available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by
publishing this letter on the Ministry’s website. Your personal details will be
deleted, and the Ministry will not publish any information that would identify
you as the person who requested the information.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email].
If you are not satisfied with this response about the appointment of Benefits
Review Committee (BRC) Community Representatives for the Auckland
region, you have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
Diane Anderson
Manager
Client Advocacy and Review Team
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