UNCLASSIFIED
 
New Zealand Ministry of 
 
Foreign Affairs and Trade 
Manatū Aorere   
 
195 Lambton Quay 
7 November 2024 
Private Bag 18−901 
Wellington 6160 
 
New Zealand 
 
 
T    +64 4 439 8000 
F    +64 4 472 9596 
Cooper O'Neil 
 
OIA 29753 
[FYI request #28669 email] 
 
 
Tēnā koe Cooper O'Neil 
 
Thank you for your email of 6 October 2024, transferred from the Department of the 
Prime Minister on 14 October 2024, in which you request the following under the Official 
Information Act 1982 (OIA): 
 
“Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request all messages of support from 
former US President Barack Obama to former Prime Minister John Key concerning 
the Pike River Mine accident.”  
 
We have interpreted your request to be for formal messages of support from the former 
President of the United States of America (US) Barack Obama to the former 
New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key concerning the Pike River Mine accident. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry) is not aware of receiving any 
formal messages of support from former United States President Barack Obama. Your 
request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information requested 
does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found. 
 
We have located a related statement from the former US Secretary of State,  
Hillary Clinton, which is publicly available via for the below link: 
web.archive.org/web/20111015041232/https:/newzealand.usembassy.gov/mine_explosi
on.html  
 
We note that reporting at the time indicates that former US President Obama gave 
former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully a similar message at the NATO summit 
in Lisbon, Portugal which they were both attending.  
 
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official 
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your 
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website: 
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/  
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

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If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at: 
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the 
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 
0800 802 602. 
 
Nāku noa, nā 
 
Sarah Corbett 
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade 
 

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