if sent to a minster? I felt like I should post this for all to see. Just for interest sakes. I wasn't expecting the reply to be so long either! Dear Luke Thank you for your enquiry "does a request for information to a Minister via Facebook Chat or a post on their wall constitute an Official Information Act request". While this issue hasn't been considered in any detail before, we think it is possible for an OIA request to be submitted via facebook. However, facebook is not the most effective way of submitting OIA requests. I've set out some of the issues and difficulties below. First, there is a risk that an OIA request made by facebook will be overlooked, particularly with popular facebook pages attracting numerous posts. The systems within Ministerial offices for tracking and monitoring facebook communications may not be as developed or as sophisticated as the ones which exist in relation to postal and email communications. While there is no obligation to refer to the OIA when making a request, it would probably be advisable in this context in order to minimise the risk that the request is overlooked. Secondly, with Ministers, there may be an issue about the capacity in which they hold their facebook account. Take John Key's facebook account for instance. While John Key is the Prime Minister (and subject to the OIA in that capacity), he is also leader of the National Party and a Member of Parliament (and not subject to