15 January 2026
Chief Executive
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Wellington
New Zealand
This letter constitutes a request for official information under the NZ Official Information Act 1982, seeking information from your Ministry.
This request is also made pursuant to existing authorities, precedents, conventions and the common law.
I am writing to your office in my capacity as a New Zealand Samoan media professional seeking information concerning New Zealand’s financial assistance to the Independent State of Samoa in the last 5 years.
In that I have cited above the legal justifications for my request, I am also citing public policy considerations such as the public interest as another proper basis for what I am seeking.
This letter is prompted by serious concerns held by many Samoans in Samoa as well as the international diaspora of some of the current questionable practices of the current government of Samoa. It was well publicised today through the Samoa Observer that a former minister of the current ruling party has just been appointed to head an important community group charged with the distribution of up to $2m of public money. This is despite the courts holding him as responsible for some corrupt practices leading up to the general election recently held in August 2025.
Its mind boggling that such an appointment was made despite the court’s findings on this former MP’s character and lack of integrity.
This unfortunately is one of the many instances where the population of Samoans throughout the globe are very concerned with this ruling party. Although prima-facie it appears they are giving the money back to communities, I as one of the many, am seriously concerned with the types of people they are placing in these positions whom we believe are there to channel the monies back to the ruling party, their family and friends.
On receipt of this information, we will then write directly to the office of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon with our concerns.
Pursuant to section 12 of the Official Information Act, I request the following information:
- The total amount of aid, development assistance, budget support, or other funding provided by New Zealand to Samoa for each financial year over the past 5 years.
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A breakdown of that funding by category or programme, including (without limitation):
- Bilateral development assistance
- Sector-specific funding (including health, education, governance, infrastructure, and security)
- Climate, disaster resilience, or environmental funding
- Any direct budgetary support or off-budget assistance
- The New Zealand government agencies, Crown entities, or delivery partners responsible for administering or distributing each category of funding.
- Any conditions, accountability mechanisms, performance indicators, or reporting requirements attached to the funding.
- Any significant changes in funding levels, strategic priorities, or delivery models during this period, and the reasons for those changes.
If any part of this information is withheld, I request that the grounds for refusal be clearly identified and articulated in your response, including the specific provisions of the Act relied upon, and that any information capable of being released in part be provided in accordance with section 16 of the Act.
This request is made in the public interest, given New Zealand’s long-standing constitutional, historical, and regional relationship with Samoa, and the importance of transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public funds overseas.
Please note that the information sought is intended for publication and broadcast and will inform public reporting and analysis. I therefore request that the information be provided in a clear, consolidated, and usable format where practicable.
I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe prescribed by the Official Information Act.
Yours sincerely,
Sala Pulotu Canada Faoa’i-Alofa McCarthy
CTV Media (NZ and Australia)
Auckland
Aotearoa/New Zealand.
