Request for the number of days Peter Thiel spent in New Zealand before gaining citizenship

Radio New Zealand asked the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) for the number of days Peter Thiel had spent in New Zealand in two specified periods before being granted citizenship. Radio New Zealand complained to the Ombudsman after the Department refused the request under section 9(2)(a) of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) in order to protect the privacy of Mr Thiel.

The Ombudsman formed the final opinion that the request should not have been refused. The Ombudsman considered that Mr Thiel had a low privacy interest in the information, which the Privacy Commissioner agreed with, and that this privacy interest was outweighed by the high public interest in accountability and transparency in decision making (sections 9(1) and 9(2)(a) refer).

This case note is published under the authority of the Ombudsmen Rules 1989. It sets out an Ombudsman’s view on the facts of a particular case. It should not be taken as establishing any legal precedent that would bind an Ombudsman in future.