Stats NZ is expecting to receive the final misuse of data investigation report by Doug Craig early this week.
The Government Statistician and Stats NZ Chief Executive Mark Sowden commissioned the independent report after allegations, received in May 2024, claimed census data collected by Manurewa Marae staff as part of a contract with Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency has been misused.
Mr Craig's report and Stats NZ's response will be publicly released on the same day as a related Public Service Commission Inquiry being led by Mike Heron KC.
"The Doug Craig Report and the Mike Heron Inquiry are clearly linked so it is important the reports and associated information are provided at the same time to give the public the full picture," says Sowden.
The scope of the Stats NZ investigation has been centred around the management and handing of census forms and the data and personal information contained within them. This includes contract expectations, obligations and monitoring, and the way in which Whānau Ora staff engaged with people and handled census forms and data.
"Determining liability was out of scope of Mr Craig's investigation. That's the job of the NZ Police, the Serious Fraud Office and the Privacy Commissioner. We will be sharing Mr Craig's report and related information with those agencies."
Further statements will be made on release of the reports in the coming weeks.
