News

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.

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.

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.  

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 Chief Ombudsman has published a new guide on how to deal with OIA requests for the names and contact details of public sector employees.

This guide answers questions from agencies and requesters about dealing with official information requests during the COVID-19 emergency. It:

The Chief Ombudsman has provided agencies responsible for places of detention with a set of principles to guide them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OPCAT inspections and visits during COVID-19 pandemic – update and Statement of Principles

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: