Thank you for contacting Hon Simon Watts, Member of Parliament for North
Shore, Minister of Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister of Local
Government and Minister of Revenue.

The Minister considers all correspondence important but as he receives a
large amount of correspondence, it is not always possible to provide a
personal response.

Please note the following guidelines:

·         If you are a North Shore constituent contacting the Minister
about an issue, then your email will be passed to his electorate office.

·         Invitations and requests to meet with the Minister will be
considered and a staff member will be in touch with you in due course. 

·         Requests for official information will be managed in accordance
with provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, which may include a
transfer to a more relevant Minister or agency. 

·         If your email falls outside of the Minister's portfolio
responsibilities, expresses a personal view, or is copied to multiple
Members of Parliament, then your opinion will be noted and your
correspondence may be transferred to another office, or there may be no
further response to you. 

Thank you once again for taking the time to write; it is very much
appreciated.

The Office of Hon Simon Watts

(Please note that this acknowledgement is an automatically generated
email.) 

Good afternoon Miss W. Forest,

Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information Act request as follows:

"Pursuant to Official Information Act, please provide the copies of documents provided to Radio New Zealand relating to John Carnegie recruitment and appointment to EECA.

In addition please provide the:

a) official advice to appoint the lobbyist to the role

b) communication with the officials managing the recruitment process

c) ministerial instructions to recruitment officials to interview Cargenie

d) advice received relating to appointment of accountant Vijay Goel

e) overriding instructions provided by the minister to appoint board members to EECA over the recommendations of the independent officials

f) MBIE's shortlist of candidates and relating advice provided to the minister

g) The minister's communication to officials not to interview on anyone's on the MBIE shortlist

h) The communication to recruiting officials to interview Carnegie and Goel instead

i) The advice received from MBIE regarding the suitaiblity of Cargenie and Goel after interview/s

j) The list of selection criteria and how Cargenie and Goel scored on the criteria

k) The further shortlist of candidates who MBIE believed met the criteria after Cargenie and Goel was interviewed and deemed not suitable

j) Minister's reply to MBIE regarding the further shortlist of candidates.

k) Any supporting documents and / or advice that was considered to make it appropriate to override independent advice to not hire Cargenie and Goel

l) The relevant experience minister was informed relating to Cargenie and Goel serving in public sector boards - as was provided as justification in the media to override the recruiting officials."

Minister Watts is considering your request in accordance with the Act, and you can expect a response by Thursday 3 April 2025.

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Simon Watts

Minister of Climate Change
Minister for Energy
Minister of Local Government
Minister of Revenue

Email: [Simon Watts request email] | Website: www.beehive.govt.nz  
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

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