OIA payments examined
Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods is seeking advice from the State Service Commission on taxpayerfunded payments by government insurer Southern Response to a private investigation firm to review its Official Information Act (OIA) responses.
Woods asked for a “please explain” from Southern Response after the Herald revealed the quake insurer paid Thompson & Clark Investigations Ltd (TCIL) $2070 to review a response to an OIA request from the Labour Party research unit on its use of TCIL. That was in 2017, when Woods was opposition spokeswoman on the Christchurch quake recovery.
A spokesman for Woods reiterated yesterday that charging by a third party to review a response to an OIA request didn’t sit well with her. She was seeking advice from the commission and noted Southern Response was also seeking advice, from the Ombudsman, on its policy of paying for third party reviews of OIA responses.
A Southern Response spokesman said TCIL had provided feedback on which information was, in its view, commercially sensitive or contained unique IP or methodologies and should therefore be withheld.
“Southern Response reviewed TCIL’s feedback and carried out its own assessment of the information, before making its independent decision on the request and the redactions applied.
Consultation with third parties is a standard process Southern Response follows for all OIA requests which concern thirdparty information,” he said.
But he said Southern Response was not aware of specific guidance from the Ombudsman on the third party’s right to charge the agency for its time dealing with OIA consultation: “When an OIA request involves large volumes of information from a third party, Southern Response may consider that party’s request to be reimbursed for their time and resources.”
National MP Gerry Brownlee, quake recovery minister at the time the OIA request was made, told the Herald it was “very odd”.
Southern Response initially engaged TCIL in 2014 to keep staff safe.
But according to a review of the use of external security firms by government agencies, the arrangement morphed into protecting Southern Response’s brand. Documents released by Southern Response also show TCIL suggested amendments to answers to written questions to Brownlee from Woods in 2016.
TCIL also appeared to advise Southern Response on how to circumvent public scrutiny.
TCIL director Gavin Clark said a now former employee was reprimanded for that at the time.