No preferential treatment was given to a New Zealand DJ's passport process, after she was invited to tour with international DJ Fred Again, a report has found.
However, the report found errors of privacy had been made by the Department of Internal Affair's deputy chief executive, Maria Robertson.
The case attracted public attention when Wellington-based DJ Messie (AKA Tessa Hills) won a competition to tour Australia with Grammy-nominated DJ Fred Again and ran into trouble when she found her passport was no longer valid.
Hills submitted an urgent passport application and Fred Again posted on social media about the dilemma.
Among those who noticed the post was the son of Ministry of Internal Affairs deputy chief executive Maria Robertson.
He then told his mother about the passport problem, who in turn forwarded an email from Hills to a colleague. She subsequently said she was not involved in the actual application and the normal process was followed.
After a show in Auckland in March, Fred Again posted a message on his Instagram story that Robertson had sent to him.
"I'm the deputy chief executive of Internal Affairs," she said in Fred Again's screenshot.
"My son got in touch with Tessa after seeing your post, Tessa got in touch with us, she's made her application and we are sorting it with her.
"We love your music and we are thrilled you are backing one of our own to support your gig."
Hills posted on social media that she had her passport approved on March 26.
On March 27, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden announced she would make inquiries into the "chain of events" leading to Hills' passport approval.
Today, van Velden said she had sought assurances from the department and its chief executive that correct processes and policies were followed in the case of Messie's passport application. She said she raised the concerns after being made aware of Robertson's social media activity with DJ Fred Again.
“I wanted to be assured that there was no breach of privacy and preferential treatment given to the applicant by the deputy chief executive and asked the chief executive to examine this.
“I have now received the report and I am pleased to see that the correct processing procedures were followed, and that no preferential treatment was given.
"The report does however identify that errors were made by the deputy chief executive around the privacy of the applicant.
"However, the Privacy Commissioner has assured that no feasible harm occurred as a result of this privacy breach."
Van Velden said her expectation was that all New Zealanders applying for passports would be treated equally regardless of their public status.
“I am pleased to see that this has occurred in this case. My next expectation is that privacy of individuals is respected no matter their public status."
Van Velden said she understood the chief executive would take the recommendations on board.
“I am pleased for the applicant in this case that she was able to receive her passport in time for her requirements through the process which is available to all New Zealanders."
Van Velden's statement said the Minister's Office "did not play any part in the urgent application process" and van Velden had requested the report be made public. It can be found on the Department of Internal Affairs website.
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