Proactive Release: Documents held by the Prime Minister’s office relating to the Smith v Fonterra litigation and related matters

The following document has been proactively released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on behalf of Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister:

Documents held by the Prime Minister's office relating to the Smith v Fonterra litigation and related matters

The following documents have been included in this release:

• Part 1 - Background to the proactive release and information included
• Part 2 - Information relating to the Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group litigation
• Part 3 - Information relating to the response to the litigation leading to the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill
• Part 4 - Information about meetings and communications between the Prime Minister or his office and the defendants to the litigation relating to the Smith v Fonterra case.
  The defendants are:
  1. Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited
  2. Genesis Energy Limited
  3. Dairy Holdings Limited
  4. New Zealand Steel Limited
  5. Z Energy Limited
  6. Channel Infrastructure NZ Limited
  7. BT Mining Limited

Some parts of this information release would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Where this is the case, the relevant section of the Act that would apply has been identified. Where information has been withheld, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.

Key to redaction codes:

• section 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of individuals
• section 9(2)(b)(ii), to protect the commercial position of the person who supplied the information, or who is the subject of the information
• section 9(2)(ba), to protect the supply of similar information in the future, or to prevent damage to the public interest
• section 9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinion
• section 9(2)(h), to maintain legal professional privilege.

Where information is duplicated or not in scope of the release, this has also been marked.