EUR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAMBERS 7 December 2017 David Fisher NZ Herald PO Box 32 Auckland By email: David.Fisher@nzherald.co.nz Dear Mr Fisher Information request: Minister of Defence?s foreign honours Our reference: 0134?2 01 1 On 15 November 2017 the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet received a request for information from you under the Of?cial Information Act 1982 Your request asked for: The date on which Ron Mark sought permission to wear foreign honours; The names of the foreign honours which he sought to wear; Any correspondence held regarding the request and the approval process; The date on which permission was granted or denied. Rules around the acceptance and wearing of foreign honours 2 The ?Rules relating to the acceptance and wearing of Commonwealth, foreign and international Honours by New Zealand citizens? are available on website. The Governor?General has delegated authority from the Queen to approve the acceptance and wearing of any foreign honour by a New Zealand citizen, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The making of such a recommendation to the Governor?General is at the Prime Minister?s discretion. From time to time, retrospective requests are considered (ie, approval is sought after the fact for a person to of?cially wear an item of honours insignia they have received from another county). Your request for information 4 273590v1 I have responded to your speci?c points individually below. CABINET OFFICE, BUILDINGS, WELLINGTON 6011, NEW ZEALAND Telephone: {04) 81? 9743 Facsimile: (04) 472 6332 1 10 The Minister of Defence, the Honourable Ron Mark (?Hon Ron Mark?); sought permission to wear foreign honours on 15 November 2017. The medals in question are: 6.1 The Order of the Special Royal Emblem; 6.2 The Oman Peace Medal; 6.3 The Oman 15 Year Ascension Medal (I note that this is also known as the Glorious Fifteenth National Day Medal). Attached is a copy of the correspondence held by DPMC at the time of receipt of your OIA request. There are some redactions to the correspondence. This information has been withheld under: 7.1 section of the 01A, to protect the privacy of natural persons; 7.2 section of the OIA, to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or of?cers and employees of any department or organisation in the course of their duty. 1 do not consider that there are public interest considerations that would outweigh the reasons for withholding this information. DPMC holds other information that post?dates the receipt of your OIA request. In summary: 9.1 the Honours Unit sought and received further information from Hon Ron Mark?s of?ce to con?rm the foreign honours he holds; 9.2 the Cabinet Of?ce provided advice to the Prime Minister recommending that she agree to advise the Governor?General to approve the acceptance and wearing of these Omani honours by Hon Ron Mark; 9.3 the Prime Minister wrote to the Governor?General, recommending that she grant approval, under delegated authority from the Queen, for Hon Ron Mark to accept and wear these honours; 9.4 The Governor-General granted approval for the acceptance and wear of these foreign honours on 27 November 2017; 9.5 Hon Ron Mark was advised of this approval on 1 December 2017. Please note that you have the right to complain about this decision to the Of?ce of the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the CIA. Yours sincerely Mitt/W: Michael Webster Clerk of the Executive Council 273590vl Dmid "Williams (31' Beam: Gerard Wood Sent: Friday}, 27'Q'cjt?obfel" 2017' 233-4 "To: David. Williams Subject: RE: .Min'lst?r'emedal bar; Will a?tzis?e Mend'ay. LS 3111le With El?GICB?erxg Frnin: David Willie?sIDPMC]: