Minister seeks advice on taxpayer-funded OIAs

Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods is seeking advice from the State Service Commission on taxpayer-funded 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 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.

“Consultation with third parties is a standard process Southern Response follows for all OIA requests which concern third-party information.” 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.