New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
27 October 2020
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T Benseman
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #13436 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
Dear T Benseman
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 1 August 2020 to the Office of
the Prime Minister.
Part 2 of your request was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (MFAT) on 7 September 2020, and seeks the following under the OIA:
1. “All correspondence, meetings, phone conversations, memos, payment
etc…between all branches of your government, and Bill Gates (and his agents)
between 1/8/2019 and 1/8/2020.”
2. And also, between all branches of your government, and Bill Gates (and
his agents) between 1/8/2019 and 1/8/2020.”
On 9 September 2020, we advised you that we had received the partial transfer of your
request. On 12 September 2020, you advised:
“So obviously you found a substantial amount of information to lead to this idea there
is a substantial amount of collation and research to be done. How about you send
information of the volume by year for the last 3 years so I can get an idea of how
much govt has been colluding with Gates and co.”
On 5 October 2020, we advised you that, due to the necessity for further consultation, we
needed to extend the time limit for responding to you about
part 2 to 3 November 2020.
This process is now complete, and our response is set out below.
MFAT is in a position to respond to
part 2 with only the information that we hold that is
relevant to your request. If you are seeking information held by other government agencies,
you may wish to contact these agencies directly, if you have not done so already.
Attached are the MFAT documents relevant to
part 2 of your request. Some portions of the
documents are withheld under the following sections of the OIA:
6(a): to avoid prejudicing the security or defence of New Zealand or the
international relations of the New Zealand Government;
6(b): to protect the passing of information from another government on a
confidential basis;
9(2)(ba): to protect the supply of confidential information by a third party; and
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments.
e [email address]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 2
Two further documents have been withheld in full under section 6(b) of the OIA as noted
above.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, we have identified no
public interest in releasing the information that would be sufficient to override the reasons
for withholding it.
Please note that we may publish this letter (with your personal details redacted) and
enclosed documents on the Ministry’s website.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this response by the
Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely
Julie-Anne Lee
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade