Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden is conducting an investigation following revelations that a high-ranking public servant, Maria Robertson, Deputy Chief Executive of Service Delivery and Operations, communicated with English DJ Fred Again regarding the fast-tracked passport processing for Wellington DJ Tessa Hills, stage name Messie.
Hills needed to quickly renew her passport to join Fred Again’s Australian tour.
Despite social media posts suggesting cronyism and favouritism, Robertson said she only acknowledged Hills’ urgent passport application without further involvement.
The passport situation evoked strong interest online even prompting unsuccessful appeals to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon via social media.
According to a report in legacy media outlet NZ Herald, Robertson and the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) maintain that their actions were part of standard procedure for urgent passport requests, and said they were committed to providinb equal service for all citizens regardless of status.
Hills’ application was approved within hours.
It might not seem fair. My partner was unable to renew his passport in the Auckland only lockdown however we were still able to escape using our NZ ones, just created a few minor problems later.
I would say let sleeping dogs lie. The dogs being the msm and Labour of course.