133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
9 May 2023
James
By email:
[email address]
[FYI request #22231 email]
[email address]
Ref:
H2023021713
H2023023611
H2023022483
Tēnā koe James
Response to your request for official information This letter responds to three further requests you have made regarding the appointment of the
Director of the Suicide Prevention Of ice, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to
Manatū Hauora (the Ministry of Health). These requests were made on 13 March, 23 March,
and 16 April 2023.
For ease of reference, appended to this letter are copies of your requests.
Manatū Hauora takes its obligations under the Act seriously. It is important that the public has
trust and confidence in the Ministry’s recruitment processes and the appointment of its staff. The
public must also be confident that we wil protect individual’s personal information. This includes
information about former, current, and potential staff.
Manatū Hauora stands by the appointment of the Director and the process that was followed.
We have released a range of information to you previously and in this response so that the
public can be confident in the appointment process followed. However, Manatū Hauora is also
withholding information, in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned and
recognising that the greater public interest is in former, current and future staff knowing that an
application for a role at the Ministry does not mean that their personal information wil be
released publicly.
The Ministry is satisfied that a standard recruitment process showed Matthew Tukaki was the
best candidate for the advertised position of Director of the Suicide Prevention Office. Due
diligence was followed to confirm Mr Tukaki’s experience in suicide prevention work and his
suitability for the role. As part of this recruitment process, the Ministry checked Mr Tukaki’s
recent and relevant employment history.
I have addressed each of your request in further detail below.
H2023021713 and H2023023611
The Ministry understands this is a follow-up to your earlier request for information
(H2023019104 refers). Information in Mr Tukaki’s application and a copy of his CV is withheld
under the following sections of the Act:
• section 9(2)(a) of the Act – to protect the privacy of natural persons; and
• section 9(2)(ba)(i) – to protect information which was subject to an obligation of
confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the
authority of any enactment.
I have considered the countervailing public interest in release in making this decision and
consider that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
While Mr Tukaki’s CV had been previously released following an investigation under the
Ombudsmen Act 1975, the Ombudsman’s view on the facts of a particular case should not be
taken as establishing any legal precedent in future requests. The Ministry continues to consider
these documents as subject to confidentiality in accordance with the Ministry’s recruitment
process, and privacy requirements associated with that process. The decision to release this
information at the time was also made in consultation with Mr Tukaki.
I am also satisfied that our previous response to you (H2023019104 refers) has addressed this
question and consider the matter resolved.
H2023022483
Please find attached a copy of the job description for the Director Suicide Prevention role, as
advertised in April 2022. The position was advertised internally and externally from 5 to 22 April
2022.
As advised in our previous response to you (H2022018477 refers), Mr Tukaki was one of 22
applicants for the position, and one of three people who interviewed for the Director position at
the Suicide Prevention Office. The interview panel consisted of Deputy Chief Executive of
Sector Support, the Deputy Director-General of Māori Health, the Deputy Director-General of
Mental Health and Addiction, and the Chief Clinical Advisor of Mental Health and Addiction. No
specific declarations of interest were made by the panel members in relation to this recruitment
process.
Following these interviews, the panel selected Mr Tukaki as the suitable candidate for the role.
This was due to his experience in a similar role in Australia, his strong leadership skil s,
experience working across agencies, his strategic vision, and his media experience.
Following Mr Tukaki’s selection as the preferred candidate, reference and police checks were
undertaken as per the standard recruitment process at Manatū Hauora. Four reference checks
were conducted, which were all very positive. Mr Tukaki was then offered the role with a
commencement date of 1 July 2022.
Al other information regarding the advertising of this position has been deemed outside the
scope of your request as it is administrative in nature; for example, the human resource team
arranging the advertisement.
As noted earlier, the Ministry has released a large amount of information regarding the
recruitment process and Mr Tukaki’s application and appointment to the role. I am not prepared
to release further detailed information including correspondence with the individual in applying
for the position under sections 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(ba)(i) of the Act. Such information is personal to
the individual and the greater public interest is in the Ministry maintaining the confidence of
current and future employees.
I trust this information fulfils your requests. Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may
be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by cal ing 0800 802 602.
Page 2 of 5
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Robyn Shearer
Deputy Chief Executive and Deputy Director-General
Te Pou Mahi Pūnaha | System Performance and Monitoring
Page 3 of 5
Appendix 1: Details of OIA requests
#
Reference #
Date received Requested information
1
H2023021713 13 March 2023
As per my previous request which was too generic, under the OIA I specifically seek clarification
regarding the University and Tertiary education qualifications of Matthew Tukaki which were listed in his
bio of the Annual Report for Suicide Prevention Australia.
In Matthew Tukaki’s previous role for Suicide Prevention Australia he clearly states in the annual
financial report June 30, 2020 which is publicly available online, his University and Tertiary qualifications
as the following:
Post Graduate Diploma in Diplomacy and Negotiations (VU), Bachelor of Management Studies
(BMS,WU), NZ Certificate in Business (BOP/MT), International Government Certificate in Knowledge
Management (IGKM).
Please provide any University or Tertiary qualifications Mr Tukaki listed on either his application for the
role of Director of Suicide Prevention, Or in his CV he submitted for this role.
If Mr Tukaki listed University or Tertiary qualifications, please confirm if they were all checked and
confirmed with each Institution as part of the recruitment process at the time of application, if not, why
not?
2
H2023022483 23 March 2023
Please provide the job description as listed and advertised for the role of Director of Suicide Prevention
in 2022 by the Ministry of Health.
Please provide the date, both internally and externally the job advertisement for the role of Director of
Suicide Prevention was posted and the date applications opened and closed for the same role.
Al correspondence including but not limited to emails, texts and phone calls involving Matthew Tukaki
and the role of Director of Suicide Prevention on or before the date of applications officially opened for
the role.
Page 4 of 5
#
Reference #
Date received Requested information
Please provide details of any meetings that Mr Tukaki had with Ministry of Health staff concerning the
role Director of Suicide Prevention between October 2021 and April 29th 2022.
Al communications including but not limited to texts, emails and phone calls discussing that the role of
Director of Suicide Prevention was to be taken to market, final notification and authorisation that the role
of Director of Suicide Prevention could be officially advertised. This should include the dates of these
events.
Al communications including but not limited to text, emails and phone calls between Dr Arran Culver and
Mr Tukaki prior to April 29th.
The names of the 3 members of the interview panel.
Any declarations of interest declared by Mr Tukaki and or the 3 member interview panel.
3
H2023023611 16 April 2023
Under the OIA, please provide Matthew Tukaki’s CV.
This has already been released after the involvement of Ombudsman and Mr Tukaki’s work history is
online and viewable to the public via his LinkedIn page.
Page 5 of 5
