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Te Tari Taiwhenua
Internal Affairs
21 February 2024
Ministerial Services
45 Pipitea St, Thorndon
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Website: www.dia.govt.nz
A Collins
fyi-request-25657-
[email address]
Dear A Collins
Official Information Act request (OIA 2324-0566}
Thank you for your request for information dated 7 February 2024 made under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department). You
requested the following information:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request a copy of all information held by
Ministerial and Secretariat Services in relation to conflicts of interest for permanent,
temporary and contracted staff employed or contracted to work in ministerial offices
since 20 November 2023.
I would like information about specific conflicts advised by these staff to Ministerial
Services, the dates the department was advised, and the steps taken to manage these
conflicts.
Response to your request
All staff employed by the Department are required to abide by a code of conduct, and to
actively manage any perceived or actual conflicts of interest that exist prior to their
employment, or arise during their employment.
Once staff have commenced employment, they are expected to declare any conflicts of
interest as soon as they arise. The Department has a process where conflicts of interest are
discussed and reviewed on a regular basis. This process must meet the Public Service
Commissioner's conflicts of interest model standards which can be found here1.
It's important to note that it's not unusual for friends and family, to work within the same
workplace and there are practices in place to manage this, as mentioned above.
1 https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/guidance/guide-he-aratohu/model-standards/conflicts-of-interest/
Conflicts of interest forms and their completion are part of an employee's personal file. The
Department as the employer has an obligation to hold details relating to their employment
files as confidential to protect their privacy.
The Department considers that grounds for withholding further information requested by you
exist under the following sections of Official Information Act:
• 9(2){a) protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons; and
• 9(2)(ba) protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence and
where the making available of the information -
(i)
would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information and it.is in
the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied;
and
(ii)
would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest.
I have considered whether the above grounds for withholding the information under section
9 of the Act are outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the
public interest, to make that information available. In this instance, I do not consider that to
be the case.
We may publish this OIA response on www.dia.govt.nz (with your personal details having been
removed). Publishing responses to OIA requests increases the availability of information to
the public and is consistent with the purpose of the Act to enable effective participation in the
making and administration of laws and policies, and to promote the accountability of Ministers
and officials.
If you have any concerns with the information in this response, you have a right to request an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. Information on
how to do this is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Briget Ridden
General Manager - Ministerial Services
Te Haumi - Enterprise Partnerships
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
Pagel o/2
