Official Information Act Request – $15 Million Ukraine Allocation
From: Ministerial Services <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, 27 March 2026 4:07 pm
To: ‘[email protected]’ <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Official Information Act Request – $15 Million Ukraine Allocation [UNCLASSIFIED] – OIA-2026-5731
Good afternoon Tracy
Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 29 April 2026.
Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website (www.nzdf.mil.nz). Your personal information will not be published.
Regards
Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 27 March 2026 1:33 p.m.
To: [email protected]; Ministerial Services <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Cc: ‘Private Trust NDA records’ <[email protected]>; ‘105 Office’ <[email protected]>; ‘Chairman’ <[email protected]>
Subject: Official Information Act Request – $15 Million Ukraine Allocation
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt please forward the email to [email protected] and then delete the email from your Inbox. Thank you.
To:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)
Date: today
Subject: Official Information Act Request – $15 Million Ukraine Allocation
1. Introduction
I request information under the Official Information Act 1982 relating to the Government decision to allocate approximately $15 million towards weapons and equipment for Ukraine, as publicly reported on or about 2 February 2026.
This request follows a Treasury response (Ref: 20260069, dated 27 March 2026), which confirmed funding sources but advised that no further information was held.
2. Information Requested
Please provide:
(a) Cabinet and Ministerial Material
– Cabinet papers, Cabinet minutes, briefings, and aide-mémoires
– Ministerial briefings and decision documents
(b) Funding and Fiscal Treatment
– Details of how the $15m allocation was approved and structured
– Any baseline adjustments, reprioritisation, or internal funding decisions
– Any consultation with Treasury regarding fiscal treatment
(c) Accounting Classification
– The accounting treatment applied (expense, capital, transfer, etc.)
– Whether the expenditure is departmental or non-departmental
(d) Inter-Agency Consultation
– Communications (including emails and notes) between your agency and:
– Treasury
– Other relevant agencies
– Ministers or their offices
(e) Impact Analysis
– Any analysis of impacts on:
– Defence capability
– Foreign aid budgets
– Other Votes or domestic expenditure
3. Format
Please provide the information in electronic form.
4. Statutory Rights
I note my right to seek a review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act.
OPTIONAL ADD-ON (Include if desired)
Given the public interest in transparency around international military assistance and fiscal decision-making, I request that consideration be given to proactive release where possible.
OPTIONAL ESCALATION CLAUSE
If any part of this request is refused, please:
– Specify the statutory basis for refusal
– Identify whether any information has been withheld rather than not held
– Confirm whether any part of the request has been considered for transfer under section 14
OPTIONAL URGENCY REQUEST
I request that this matter be treated as urgent under section 12(3) of the Act, on the basis that it concerns significant public expenditure and ongoing public interest.
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards
Tracy Lynch
Under instruction from trustees
InLandsAirWater Counsel