How much $ did you pay the Highlanders Rugby Team franchise to produce a YouTube video promoting Covid vaccination?
Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Health New Zealand
Response to this request is long overdue. By law Health New Zealand should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Health New Zealand,
I see the Highlanders Rugby Team feature in an advert posted on Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA135A0x... that promotes covid-19 vaccination
The film references southernhealth.nz/COVID-19 which is the Southern District Health Board.
Please provide the following information:
How much was paid to the Highlanders Super Rugby Team for this advert ?
How much was paid for any Covid-19 vaccination program at New Zealand Super Rugby Teams?
Please include payments to all and any actors/players .
Please include payments for leasing space to administer vaccines and for the filming of this commercial.
Please include the minutes from any DHB budget/strategy meetings, memos, correspondence etc from when the decision to produce covid-19 vaccine adverts with Super Rugby or any sports for that matter was decided.
Yours faithfully,
Erika Whittome
From: hnzOIA
Tēnā koe,
Thank you for contacting Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora. This is an automatic
reply to confirm that we have received your email. Depending on the
nature of your request you may not receive a response for up to 20 working
days. We will try to respond to your query as quickly as possible.
Ngā mihi
Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora.
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message
From: hnzOIA
Tēnā koe Erika,
Thank you for your email of 24 June 2024, asking for the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
"I see the Highlanders Rugby Team feature in an advert posted on Youtube
here
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
that promotes covid-19 vaccination
The film references southernhealth.nz/COVID-19 which is the Southern
District Health Board.
Please provide the following information:
How much was paid to the Highlanders Super Rugby Team for this advert ?
How much was paid for any Covid-19 vaccination program at New Zealand
Super Rugby Teams?
Please include payments to all and any actors/players .
Please include payments for leasing space to administer vaccines and for
the filming of this commercial.
Please include the minutes from any DHB budget/strategy meetings, memos,
correspondence etc from when the decision to produce covid-19 vaccine
adverts with Super Rugby or any sports for that matter was decided."
This email is to let you know that Health NZ needs more time to make a
decision on your request.
The Act requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no
later than 20 working days after the day we received your request.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit and we are
therefore writing to notify you of an extension of the time to make our
decision, to 20 August 2024.
This extension is required because the consultations necessary to make a
decision on your request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably
be made within the original time limit.
If you have any questions, please contact us
at [1][email address]
If you are not happy with this extension, you have the right to make a
complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available
at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Maree
Government Services
[3][email address]
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Health New Zealand request email]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
3. mailto:[email address]
From: hnzOIA
Kia ora Erika,
Thank you for your request for information regarding a Highlanders rugby
team covid promotion on 24 June 2024. Please find attached our response to
your request.
If you have any questions, please get in touch at
[1][email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a
complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available
at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi,
Maree
Government Services
[3][email address]
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Health New Zealand request email]
2. file:///tmp/
3. mailto:[email address]
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Danielle Coe,
Your response says: " I am, however, able to advise that Health NZ has not paid influencers or sports figures to promote COVID-19 vaccination since July 2022."
It is somewhat irrelevant that you say Health NZ has not paid influencers or sports figures since July 2022 for this request. The date of the Youtube advert in my official request for information is 14 October 2021 not July 2022. (https://youtu.be/JA135A0xMVg?si=N7kjJEjR...)
Your response also says:
"The information you are seeking regarding promotion of COVID-19 vaccination is not held by the
(former) Southern District Health Board but would need to be created in order to respond to your
request. I am therefore refusing your request under section 18(g) of the Act, because Health NZ
Southern does not hold any official information."
This is illogical because information is not created. It is held and stored.
Health NZ is the merged agency all the DHBs as of June 2022. All the existing systems and finances at Southern DHB are still in place. This information request is not to "Health NZ Southern". It is to Health NZ.
Kindly supply the requested information under the Act.
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: hnzOIA
Tēnā koe,
Thank you for contacting Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora. This is an automatic
reply to confirm that we have received your email. Depending on the
nature of your request you may not receive a response for up to 20 working
days. We will try to respond to your query as quickly as possible.
Ngā mihi
Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora.
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message
From: Erika Whittome
Dear hnzOIA,
May I ask, have you asked the Ministry of Health about this spending? Would you please transfer this request to them?
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: hnzOIA
Kia ora Erika,
Thank you for your request for information regarding a Highlanders Rugby
Team Covid promotion (Follow up) on 2 August 2024. Please find attached
our response to your request.
If you have any questions, please get in touch at
[1][email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a
complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available
at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi,
Maree
Government Services
[3][email address]
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Health New Zealand request email]
2. file:///tmp/
3. mailto:[email address]
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid requests for Official Information (read more).
If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention by the site administrators
Report this request