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.

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.  

The Chief Ombudsman has published a new guide in response to questions about the impact of the Parliamentary Privilege Act (PPA) on the OIA.

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