News

Today the Chief Ombudsman has launched an online calculator that will make it easier for you, and local government agencies, to estimate the maximum timeframe for responding to an official information request.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has issued the following statement on his consideration of complaints about the managed isolation and allocation system and border-related issues.

Today is International Right to Know Day.

As New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman, it is one of the most significant dates in my calendar.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has recommended the Ministry of Education apologise to the Taihape Area School community and board of trustees over its handling of a farm that was bought by the former Taihape College and local community.

The Chief Ombudsman has issued a new case note that further illustrates his approach to section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the OIA when coalition negotiations are in train.

The Inquiries Act 2013 provided a new framework for the conduct of public and government inquiries into matters of public importance.

But there has been some uncertainty about how it interacts with the Official Information Act (OIA).

A case note released today looks into a complaint about Child, Youth and Family, which became Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children, removing a five-day-old child from their autistic mother.

The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) is writing a report about disabled people’s experiences during the COVID-19 emergency.  

Five case notes published today concern complaints about children in care, and how these were resolved. 

One of the purposes of the Official Information Act (OIA) is to make official information increasingly available to the NZ public.

Information Access Commissioners and Ombudsmen from across Australia and New Zealand are urging government agencies to do more to make information available for the benefit of citizens.

Our newest OQR is out. In this issue:

Changes to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) which came into effect on 21 March 2019 will affect ‘working day’ calculations for LGOIMA.

Last Friday’s attacks in Christchurch have shaken us all to the core.

To the people of Christchurch and to all those who have lost loved ones, my thoughts are with you. Kia kaha.