17 April 2024
Matthew Whitehead
[FYI request #26107 email]
Ref: OIA-2023/24-0673
Tēnā koe Matthew Whitehead
Official Information Act request relating to plans for archiving Ministerial
communications on personal devices
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act (the Act), received on 19
March 2024. You requested:
“For context, recently some advice to a minister was released implying only
communications on ministerial devices are subject to the OIA or need archiving for
such requests.
1. As the guidance is very clear that communications on personal devices are
presumed to be subject to the OIA until Ministers demonstrate that they are not,
what future plans and current systems do DPMC and Cabinet currently have in
place under the current government to ensure Ministerial or potentially Ministerial
communications on private devices and accounts are properly auditable for
official requests?
2.
And is the prime minister confident that ministerial communications executed on
private devices and accounts are being declared, captured, and archived
appropriately when they inevitably happen by accident or not?
I am a New Zealand citizen currently residing in New Zealand.“
I am extending the time for transfer of your request due to the consultations necessary to
confirm if relevant information was held elsewhere. This extension was to 18 April 2024.
Following consultations, I now believe the part [1] of your request for information regarding
plans for archiving Ministerial communications on personal devices is more closely
connected to the functions of the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). Accordingly, I have
decided to transfer this part of your request to the Department of Internal Affairs under
section 14(b)(ii) of the Act. Part [2] of your request will remain with the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet. DIA has the usual timeframes under the Act from receipt of this
transfer to make a decision on your request.
I have also decided to extend the time limit on part [2] of your request, in accordance with
section 15A of the Act, by an additional 5 working days to 3 May 2024. This extension is
required due to the consultations necessary to respond to your request. Despite the
extension, we will send you a response as soon as possible.
Nāku noa, nā
Amy Teague
Manager, Ministerial Services
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4871217
64 4 817 9700 Facsimile 64 4 472 3181 www.dpmc.govt.nz