Cabinet paper: Paris Climate Change Agreement April 2016
Simon Johnson made this Official Information request to Ministry for the Environment
The request was partially successful.
From: Simon Johnson
Dear Ministry for the Environment,
Your website provides a link (https://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/fi...) to this proactively released document:
"Cabinet paper: Paris Climate Change Agreement - Report back to Cabinet and Approval for Signature" dated April 2016.
The released document has had some information redacted in paragraphs 8, 18, 33, 34, 35, 42 and recommendation 8.
Please will you provide me via the For Your Information website a copy of this Cabinet paper without any of these redactions. To clarify, I am requesting a completely un-redacted copy of the Cabinet paper.
Thank you very much.
Yours faithfully,
Simon Johnson
From: Ministerials
Ministry for the Environment
Dear Mr Johnson
On behalf of the Ministry for the Environment, I am acknowledging your
email of 18 August 2016 in which you have requested, under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
Your website provides a link
([1]https://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/fi...)
to this proactively released document:
"Cabinet paper: Paris Climate Change Agreement - Report back to Cabinet
and Approval for Signature" dated April 2016.
The released document has had some information redacted in paragraphs 8,
18, 33, 34, 35, 42 and recommendation 8.
Please will you provide me via the For Your Information website a copy of
this Cabinet paper without any of these redactions. To clarify, I am
requesting a completely un-redacted copy of the Cabinet paper.
Your request is more closely connected with the functions and
responsibilities of the Minister for Climate Change Issues and is
therefore being transferred in accordance with section 14(b)(ii) of the
OIA. The Minister’s office has been informed of this transfer and will
provide a response to your request.
Kind regards
Josh Bibby – Adviser, Executive Relations
Ministry for the Environment – Manatu Mo Te Taiao
DDI: 04 439 7688 Website: www.mfe.govt.nz
23 Kate Sheppard Place, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143
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From: Lewis Stevens
Dear Mr Johnson,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 18
August 2016 to the Ministry for the Environment, which was transferred to
Hon Paula Bennett on 19 August 2016 and seeks the following under the OIA:
“Your website provides a link
([1]https://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/fi...)
to this proactively released document:
"Cabinet paper: Paris Climate Change Agreement - Report back to Cabinet
and Approval for Signature" dated April 2016.
The released document has had some information redacted in paragraphs 8,
18, 33, 34, 35, 42 and recommendation 8.
Please will you provide me via the For Your Information website a copy of
this Cabinet paper without any of these redactions. To clarify, I am
requesting a completely un-redacted copy of the Cabinet paper.”
Due to the necessity for further consultation, we will need to extend the
time limit for responding to you by 20 working days, to 14 October 2016.
It is possible however, that even with this extension, we may be unable to
release material relevant to your request.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this
response by the Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely,
Lewis Stevens
Lewis Stevens | Private Secretary, Climate Change
Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Climate Change Issues
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References
Visible links
1. https://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/fi...
From: Simon Johnson
Dear Lewis Stevens,
I have referred the Minister's extension of time to the Office of the Ombudsmen.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Johnson
Simon Johnson left an annotation ()
Reply from Ombudsman received today. The letter stated: "..an extension to the maximum statutory time limit appeared necessary".
A copy is here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8LhMBA...
From: Lewis Stevens
Letter from Hon Paula Bennett.pdf
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Released under the Official Information Act.pdf
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Mr Johnson,
Please see attached a response to Official Information Act request you
made to the Ministry for the Environment on 18 August 2016, which was
transferred to Hon Paula Bennett.
Yours sincerely,
Lewis Stevens
Lewis Stevens | Private Secretary, Climate Change
Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Climate Change Issues
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Simon Johnson left an annotation ()
Some sentences which were redacted are no longer redacted. Those look trivial. These redactions remain.
Paragraph 8; 'Background'. The same 2 lines are still redacted under S(9)(2)(j) after the words "the outcome did not.."
Paragraph 18; "agriculture". The sentence "The expectation may be modified to some extent if the UNFCCC develops specific guidance for alternative approaches to accounting for agricultural emissions" is no longer redacted. The sentence between "allies." and "However" is still redacted under S(9)(2)(j). The phrase "in sufficient time to create an opportunity for New Zealand to apply these to our first NDC." which is the second half of the next sentence is no longer redacted.
Paragraph 33; 'work programme'. The same three lines remain redacted under S(9)(2)(j).
Paragraph 34; 'markets programme'. The phrase in the last sentence "our security of supply or create barriers to the sale of emissions reductions generated by New Zealand while" is no longer redacted.
Paragraph 35; 'UNFCCC markets'. In the first sentence the words after "in recent years" remain redacted under 6a. The sentence "it is not yet clear this work programme will deliver, nor the international supply of emissions reductions will be sufficient for buyers' needs" is no longer redacted.
Paragraph 42; 'domestic processes'. The first sentence "I do not propose that New Zealand embarks on the domestic processes required for ratifying the Agreement immediately after signature" is no longer redacted.
Recommendations 8.1 and 8.2; 'negotiations'. The two recommendations remain redacted under S(9)(2)(j) except for the words "New Zealand is able to apply its preferred accounting approach".
I have complained to the Ombudsman.
Simon Johnson left an annotation ()
12/10/2016. The Office of the Ombudsman assigned reference number 439628 to the complaint.
Simon Johnson left an annotation ()
On 16/01/17, the Office of the Ombudsman notified the complaint to the Minister and asked for a report on her decision.
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I have asked the Ombudsman to review the extention of time frame.
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