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Has any staff member in the Minister’s office used a private email account to send or receive official information since the Government took office; if so, on how many occasions since 27 November 2023? and 3 other questions

Answered 25557, 25564, 25565, 25567 (2026)
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Asked by

Camilla Belich

List MP · Labour Party

Questions

  • 25557

    Has any staff member in the Minister’s office used a private email account to send or receive official information since the Government took office; if so, on how many occasions since 27 November 2023?

  • 25564

    What official information, if any, is held on a private email account of a current or former staff member in the Minister’s office and has not been placed on the official record since 27 November 2023; and what steps are being taken to recover them?

  • 25565

    Will the Minister undertake a review of current and former staff members’ private email accounts to identify any official information that should be on the public record; if not, why not?

  • 25567

    Has the Minister or any staff member in their office received a briefing, document, or correspondence from a company, lobbyist, or other third party at a private email account that hasn't then been forwarded to an official email account or logged; if so, how many since 27 November 2023?

Answered by

Hon Chris Penk

Member for Kaipara ki Mahurangi · National Party · Minister responsible for the GCSB and NZSIS

Answer

The deliberate use of a personal email account to conduct work activities as an alternate to using the work email provided to staff is not permitted. However, from time to time there are justifiable reasons for a private email to be used – for example an inability to print from their parliamentary email address while travelling or sending a copy of a press release to their private email to copy and paste to media via messaging because they are unable to copy and paste from Outlook. All ministerial staff have been reminded that they If they have used a personal email account to complete work related activities, the material created or received may constitute a public record. The material must be reviewed and securely saved.