News

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says it is alarming that awareness of the Official Information Act and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act has declined for the second year in a row.

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.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has released the latest Official Information Act and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act complaints data.

Work to support and develop integrity institutions across the Pacific will be strengthened by a United Nations Resolution affirming the importance of the Ombudsman role, says Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier today released his latest Official Information Act (OIA) and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) data[1].

Our latest OQR is out. In this issue:

The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) is made up of the Disabled People’s Organisations’ Coalition, the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman.

Some interesting OIA issues are covered in new case notes published by the Chief Ombudsman today.

Parliament has agreed to extend Peter Boshier’s appointment  as Chief Ombudsman for another five years.

In the Chamber, the Leader of the House, Chris Hipkins highlighted Mr Boshier’s efforts to resolve complaints in a timely way.

The Chief Ombudsman joins his international counterparts in their call for documentation, preservation and access to information as governments, businesses and citizens deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The OIA calculator is back online.

Thank you for your patience while we addressed the issues in the previous version.

OIA calculator

We’re helping with research by the University of Newcastle Australia into the benefits of good complaints handling in public sector organisations.

Public awareness of the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA) is very low, according to research undertaken on behalf of the Ombudsman.

The Chief Ombudsman has published a new tranche of guidance on the OIA. There are two new guides on the commercial and negotiations withholding grounds and one guide on how the OIA applies to information about public tender processes.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is welcoming the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of children and young people within the state care and youth justice system.

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.