Outgoing Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier released this report about his reflections on the Official Information Act 1982, from his during nine years in the role.
Excerpt from the introduction
An informed citizenry—essential in a modern democratic society—faces increasing risk throughout the world as an unprecedented volume of mis- and dis-information threatens to overwhelm the reliable information sources that participatory democracy depends on.
In 1982, the Official Information Act (OIA) helped usher New Zealand into an era of increasingly open, accountable and participatory government. However, over 40 years later, media and other commentators have questioned whether the OIA is still living up to its promise and have called for a complete review of the Act. Some have queried whether questionable OIA practices are eroding a key pillar of New Zealand’s constitutional framework.
It is therefore timely for me to consider the current state of OIA implementation in New Zealand. I do this with the benefit of nine years’ experience as Chief Ombudsman, including my consideration of over 14,000 OIA complaints and 37 proactive investigations of the official information practices of central government agencies.
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