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  • Request for list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged

    Case notes
    Request for list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged—information withheld under s 9(2)(a)—privacy interest not outweighed by public interest
  • Charge estimated in accordance with CRI’s charging policy

    Case notes
    Charge levied by National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)—Crown Research Institutes’ policy on charging—reasonableness of recovery of actual retrieval costs—charge reasonable
  • Request for discussion papers on Maori leadership which were no longer publicly available

    Case notes
    Request for discussion papers on Maori leadership which had been made available to the media—request refused by Minister of Maori Affairs under s 9(2)(g)(i)—no longer publicly available but issue of defamation action raised—section 48 effectively protects the Crown from defamation proceedings in respect of information which is made available in good faith under the OIA
  • Request for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home

    Case notes
    Request for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home—request refused under s 9(2)(a)—public interest in complainants receiving adequate information about investigations and findings—release of summary of information
  • Request for name of person/s who made statement to reporter

    Case notes
    Request for name of person/s who made statement to reporter—refused under s 9(2)(ba)—‘newspaper rule’—name/s of informants went to very heart of the rule—no public interest considerations which outweighed need to withhold
  • Request for amount of Government Securities beneficially owned by three major banks

    Case notes
    Amount of government securities beneficially owned by three major banks as at the end of January 1990—information supplied pursuant to s 36 of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989—importance of timely and accurate supply of data—s 9(2)(ba)(i) applied—holdings of Government Stock at specified dates important indicator of liquidity—s 9(2)(b)(ii) applied—public interest in protecting the investing public addressed by the provisions of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act relating to prudential supervision
  • Request for sale and purchase agreement and deed of lease

    Case notes
    Request for NZ Post property agreements—ss 9(2)(b)(ii), 9(2)(i) and 9(2)(j)—no good reason to withhold either the deed of lease or the agreement for sale and purchase.
  • Request by unsuccessful tenderer for copies of tender submissions for removal of bodies

    Case notes
    Format of the tender in this particular case was such that disclosure of the prices would be likely to prejudice the successful tenderer’s commercial position—s 9(2)(b)(ii) applies
  • Request for price of successful tender to supply disposable syringes and needles

    Case notes
    Sections 9(2)(b)(ii) and 9(2)(i) do not apply—public interest in release to promote integrity and transparency of tender process
  • Request for information concerning United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations

    Case notes
    International relations—comments by officials in relation to United Nations Working Group—‘would be likely to prejudice’ test applied—free and frank exchanges of opinions by officials at overseas post recorded in cable form—whether disclosure would inhibit expression of opinions in future
  • Extension of time limit to consult Minister

    Case notes
    Extension of time—not necessary for the department to consult with the Minister in order to make a decision on the request
  • Request for Police review on importation of firearms

    Case notes
    Request for access to Police review on importation of firearms—release of recommendations would undermine s 9(2)(f)(iv) but not the release of background information—public interest in disclosure outweighs need to withhold recommendations—issue of firearms control is one in which the principle of public safety is paramount—greatest possible transparency required in the making of laws and policies
  • Request for advice to Government on producer board reform

    Case notes
    Request for advice to Government on producer board reform—paper dated December 1988—constitutional conventions—whether still under consideration in May 1999—whether disclosure would interfere with policy making—ss 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i)—public interest balancing—participation and accountability
  • Request for a copy of paper presented to Cabinet Strategy Committee

    Case notes
    Information deleted from position paper on pricing issues presented by ECNZ to Cabinet Strategy Committee—ss 9(2)(g)(i) and 9(2)(j) applied to some of the information—interest in withholding information in certain sections of the paper outweighed by strong public interest in disclosure—s 9(1)—electricity pricing has a direct widespread impact on a large number of New Zealanders
  • Request for information disclosed during confidential Ministerial briefing to sector group

    Case notes
    Request by Opposition for information disclosed during confidential Ministerial briefing to sector group—s 9(2)(g)(i)—effective conduct of public affairs—public interest balancing—accountability—need for transparency in Minister’s dealings with financial sector
  • Request for information relating to the setting up of the Special Committee on Nuclear Propulsion

    Case notes
    Request for information relating to the setting up of the Special Committee on Nuclear Propulsion—given the sensitivity of the nuclear propulsion issue and the context in which the information had been generated, the withholding of the information was necessary under ss 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i)—at the time of the review the balance of public interest favoured withholding the information requested—the overall public interest was better served in allowing the Special Committee to complete its review in an orderly manner
  • Request for Court Registrar’s report

    Case notes
    Report on aborted trial released with deletions—‘free and frank expressions of opinion’ by Registrar—no public interest override
  • Request by parents for medical records of 13 year old daughter

    Case notes
    Request for medical records—information about parents and child refused under s 9(2)(a)—during review girl consulted—information released other than therapy transcripts
  • Request for advice relating to remuneration packages of executives involved in sale of SOEs

    Case notes
    Request for advice on remuneration packages of executives involved in the sale of SOEs— privacy issues—s 9(2)(a)—remuneration package released subject to deletion of dollar figures.
  • Request for recruitment video

    Case notes
    Request for copy of video commissioned for overseas recruitment—privacy of individual officers appearing in it—s 9(2)(a)—privacy interest not strong—public interest outweighs any privacy interest—s 9(1)—how Treasury sees its role and how it presents that image to potential recruits both in New Zealand and overseas is a matter of strong public interest
  • Request for polytechnic financial report

    Case notes
    Financial report not free and frank expression of opinion—linkage between information and expression of opinion—what constitutes improper pressure or harassment—section 9(2)(g)(i) not a ground for exclusion of public from meeting
  • Request for copies of referee reports

    Case notes
    A requester sought copies of referee reports in respect of course she had applied for—refused under s 27(1)(c)—two reports subsequently released with the referees’ consent—third report was evaluative material—implied promise of confidentiality had been provided to the referee—whether other factors made it unfair to withhold—s 23 relevant—institute could withhold report if a statement of reasons was provided
  • Request for documents prepared for Minister regarding Treaty of Waitangi claims

    Case notes
    Due particularity and duty to provide reasonable assistance—s 12(2) and 13
  • Request for information relating to application to re-join the Police

    Case notes
    Request for information relating to application to re-join the Police—information withheld was ‘evaluative material’—disclosure of the information would have breached an implied promise of confidentiality—relevance of s 23—essence of the evaluative material made available to the requester in summary form
  • Jurisdiction—Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Committee

    Case notes
    Information held by the Medical Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee not ‘official information’
  • Jurisdiction—information held by Arbitration Commission

    Case notes
    Official information definition— Arbitration Commission not subject to Act—whether information deemed to be held by Department of Labour—whether information held by officers or members as agents of Commission
  • Request for funding applications made to Union Incentives Trust

    Case notes
    Information held by Department of Labour relating to Union Incentives Trust—whether held solely as agent
  • Request for sites of rain recording stations

    Case notes
    Request for sites of rain recording stations in Tararua ranges—concern about vandalism and prejudice to measures protecting health or safety of members of the public—s 7(2)(d) did not apply
  • Request for psychologist’s report prepared for Accident Compensation Corporation

    Case notes
    Report by psychologist acting as independent contractor—contents of report related to requester and third party—balance to be struck between right of requester to personal information and privacy interests of third party—provision of summary of personal information in the report
  • Request for identity of medical advisers who had provided expert opinion to Department of Health

    Case notes
    Request for identity of medical advisers—need to ensure continued provision of medical advice on value of medicines—consultation with advisers—with one exception, no prejudice to the supply of similar information or information from the same source
  • Request for audio and video tapes relating to allegations of child abuse

    Case notes
    Audio and video tapes relating to allegations of child abuse—relevance of Family Court proceedings—mixed Part 2 and Part 4 information