University won’t reveal how much it gives a news site

A Cheryl Carr did an OIA to the University of Auckland asking:

• The commencement date of the sponsorship and the proposed duration of the sponsorship of Newsroom
• The total financial sponsorship received by Newsroom
• The contractual arrangements with respect to any benefits the University of Auckland would receive in consideration of the agreed sponsorship.

The response was to only confirm the dates and refuse all other information as being subject to an obligation of confidence.

That is an outrageous response from a taxpayer funded organisation and I have the decision is appealed to the Ombudsman.

The University is not a commercial business. There is public interest in knowing why they are giving a news site money, and what they get in return for it.