Plans for "Boat People"
Joshua Grainger made this Official Information request to Department of Labour
The request was partially successful.
From: Joshua Grainger
Dear Department of Labour,
I am requesting under the Official Information Act some information about immigration proposals, as I understand that the Department is responsible for providing advice on immigration policy.
According to this news story (http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/new...) the Government last year was working on a policy proposal to deal with "boat people." I would like to request under the Official Information Act all papers, correspondence, emails, memos, proposals, or other information related to plans to deal with "boat people." I am interested in anything that spells out what plans have been put developed, and the background to how these plans where arrived at, including any correspondence with third party agencies, Ministers, or other government departments.
If this request is too broad, then can I please have instead a list of the titles/subjects of the various documents that this request covers,
Yours faithfully,
Joshua Grainger
From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger
Attached is our acknowledgement letter to your regarding your OIA request
dated 12 April 2012.
Kind Regards
Rora-Sue Patu
Executive Ministerial Support Officer
Government Executive and Ministerial Support Department of Labour | Te
Tari Mahi Level 5, Aurora Chambers | 66 The Terrace | Wellington 6011 SR
57002 | PO Box 3705 | Wellington 6140
Tel: +64 4 915 6584
Email: [email address] OIA related Email: [email address]
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If
you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution
or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and
erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after
transmission from the Department.
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From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached a transfer letter in relation to your recent request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
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From: Joshua Grainger
Dear Chris and Liz,
I would like to ask you to please not transfer my request to the Minister of Immigration. For a start, I asked for all communications between external agencies, including government Ministers, and the Department of Labour. The Minister of Immigration does not possess all the documents and communications between the Department of Labour and external agencies, and thus they won't be able to provide me with this information.
Secondly, given that Departments are usually responsible for developing the details policy, it is my presumption that the Department would hold more information on how the details of any particular policy in a proposal was arrived out, whetheras the Minister would more hold information on how the plan in general was arrived at. I am interested in this more detailed information, as opposed to the broader view that Ministers have.
Of course, if I have been transferred under s14(b)(i), that the Department doesn't hold any relevant information, and it is believed that the Minister does, then consider my objections waived.
Although I am sure you are busy, can I please have a quick response, as if my request is still transferred then I shall be filing a complaint with the Ombudsmen.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Grainger
From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger,
I have passed your concerns onto the relevant workgroup as the GEMS area manages the tracking of OIAs rather than the content. I (or someone from the relevant workgroup) will respond to your email in more detail as soon as we can.
Regards
Liz McMillan
Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
Department of Labour | Te Tari Mahi
70 The Terrace | PO Box 3705 | Wellington | New Zealand
SR57002 Tel: +64 4 915 4744 | Fax: +64 4 915 4235
-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Grainger [mailto:[OIA #146 email]]
Sent: Friday, 27 April 2012 1:20 p.m.
To: OIA GEMS
Subject: Re: 1201912 - OIA - Transfer - Joshua Grainger
Dear Chris and Liz,
I would like to ask you to please not transfer my request to the
Minister of Immigration. For a start, I asked for all
communications between external agencies, including government
Ministers, and the Department of Labour. The Minister of
Immigration does not possess all the documents and communications
between the Department of Labour and external agencies, and thus
they won't be able to provide me with this information.
Secondly, given that Departments are usually responsible for
developing the details policy, it is my presumption that the
Department would hold more information on how the details of any
particular policy in a proposal was arrived out, whetheras the
Minister would more hold information on how the plan in general was
arrived at. I am interested in this more detailed information, as
opposed to the broader view that Ministers have.
Of course, if I have been transferred under s14(b)(i), that the
Department doesn't hold any relevant information, and it is
believed that the Minister does, then consider my objections
waived.
Although I am sure you are busy, can I please have a quick
response, as if my request is still transferred then I shall be
filing a complaint with the Ombudsmen.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Grainger
-----Original Message-----
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached a transfer letter in relation to your recent
request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
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From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua
The workgroup actioning your request has reviewed its decision to fully transfer your request and will now only be doing a partial transfer to the Minister of Immigration. A letter confirming this will be sent to you shortly.
Regards
Liz McMillan
Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
Department of Labour | Te Tari Mahi
70 The Terrace | PO Box 3705 | Wellington | New Zealand
SR57002 Tel: +64 4 915 4744 | Fax: +64 4 915 4235
-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Grainger [mailto:[OIA #146 email]]
Sent: Friday, 27 April 2012 1:20 p.m.
To: OIA GEMS
Subject: Re: 1201912 - OIA - Transfer - Joshua Grainger
Dear Chris and Liz,
I would like to ask you to please not transfer my request to the
Minister of Immigration. For a start, I asked for all
communications between external agencies, including government
Ministers, and the Department of Labour. The Minister of
Immigration does not possess all the documents and communications
between the Department of Labour and external agencies, and thus
they won't be able to provide me with this information.
Secondly, given that Departments are usually responsible for
developing the details policy, it is my presumption that the
Department would hold more information on how the details of any
particular policy in a proposal was arrived out, whetheras the
Minister would more hold information on how the plan in general was
arrived at. I am interested in this more detailed information, as
opposed to the broader view that Ministers have.
Of course, if I have been transferred under s14(b)(i), that the
Department doesn't hold any relevant information, and it is
believed that the Minister does, then consider my objections
waived.
Although I am sure you are busy, can I please have a quick
response, as if my request is still transferred then I shall be
filing a complaint with the Ombudsmen.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Grainger
-----Original Message-----
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached a transfer letter in relation to your recent
request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
hide quoted sections
From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached the response in relation to your recent request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
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From: Joshua Grainger
Dear OIA GEMS,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I was wondering if my request would be confined enough to avoid a charging provision if (in order of preference):
a) If only the titles or subjects or reports, emails, or correspondence was released, so that I could pick and choose those which seem to be most relevant to me.
b) I did not ask for internal emails relating to this subject, only rather internal memos, papers, and other such documents (but including emails with people outside of the Department)
c) If only correspondence with those outside of the Department was included in my request.
I would also ask that if a charge provision was to go ahead that the Department step away from the Ministry of Justice guidelines for charging, given that I would be requesting documents to be scanned, rather than photocopied, and thus there would not be the same cost for materials.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Grainger
From: Philippa Rawson (MIN)
Dear Mr Grainger
Attached is the acknowledgement of your correspondence to Hon Nathan Guy.
Kind regards,
Philippa Rawson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministerial Secretary in the Office of Hon Nathan Guy
Minister of Immigration | Minister for Racing | Minister of Veterans'
Affairs
Associate Minister for Primary Industries | MP for Otaki
Parliament Buildings | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160
Tel: (04) 817 6821 | Fax: (04) 817 6521
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Philippa Rawson (MIN)
Dear Mr Grainger
Attached is the reply to your correspondence from Hon Nathan Guy.
Kind regards,
Philippa Rawson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministerial Secretary in the Office of Hon Nathan Guy
Minister of Immigration | Minister for Racing | Minister of Veterans'
Affairs
Associate Minister for Primary Industries | MP for Otaki
Parliament Buildings | Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160
Tel: (04) 817 6821 | Fax: (04) 817 6521
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joshua Grainger
Dear OIA GEMS,
On the 4th of May I sent a follow up OIA to you, outlining several options for refining my original request, responding to your response to me on the 1st of May. The deadline for responding to that follow up has now expired, according to the Ombudsmen Calcuator a response was due on Friday. May I please receive an immediate update on the status of my request.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Grainger
From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached an extension letter in relation to your recent request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
hide quoted sections
From: OIA GEMS
Department of Labour
Dear Joshua Grainger,
Please find attached the response in relation to your recent request.
Regards,
Chris Fletcher
On behalf of
Liz McMillan
GEMS Manager
Government Executive and Ministerial Support
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately notify the sender and erase all copies of the email. The Department of Labour accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Department.
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Joshua Grainger left an annotation ()
In case anyone was wondering why I did this: it is a common move for agencies to fob off the more "political" requests to the Minister, who can respond to it in a more "political" fashion, in particular relying on s9(2)(f)(iv) and s9(2)(g)(i) to avoid embarrassing requests.
(in addition the Departments often hold more information)
Link to this