The Law Commission has just released an important and awaited report; The Public’s Right to Know: Review of the Official Information Legislation. I don’t think it’s online yet but keep trying
I haven’t read it yet, but I see that a main recommendation is more proactive release of information so that people don’t have to ask. This is an important advance.
The Commission is recommending a new statutory duty on public agencies to take reasonably practicable steps to proactively make official information publicly available. Professor Burrows stresses that the objective has been to avoid placing an unrealistic burden on agencies to immediately release large amounts of information.
The Commission recommends the Acts could be improved in a number of targeted areas such as:
• revamping the Ombudsmen’s guidance about release and withholding, using decided cases as examples to provide more clarity
• redrafting unclear and confusing withholding grounds – in particular the so-called “good government” grounds
• new withholding grounds to better protect commercially sensitive information, and information provided in the course of a statutory investigation or inquiry
• giving advance notice to people and organisations whose private, confidential or commercial information is liable to be released
• adjusting the grounds for refusing requests which impose too great a workload on agencies • encouraging proactive release of public information
• new statutory oversight functions to support the legislative framework
• increasing the reach of the legislation by including additional bodies within its scope, either fully or partially, such as specified information about the courts and certain parliamentary bodies
Nothing will happen! Administrations of the right almost universally see advantage in restricting information to the greater (they think lesser)public! Why else did they sabotage TVNZ7. If they will deliberately restrict ordinary Kiwis viewing serious intelligent public discussion then we can be sure that they will not make it easier for us to access the real detail!!!
The Law Commission`s report will just languish
If we want prompt action to release more official information we will have to first release the Nats of power come 2014.
They clearly see an informed public as dangerous. They are the party of “Dumb Down”. We must wonder why?
Clare, be very careful what you wish for. The world looks very different from the ivory towers of the Law Commission. At some point open access simply delivers paralysis.
redrafting unclear and confusing withholding grounds – in particular the so-called “good government” grounds
Their redraft sadly introduces more secrecy. I hope Labour will oppose it.
@ jennifer
If knowlege causes more debate(Not paralysis please!), and that is because we have an intelligent enquiring population, then that is good, right? It MUST be worse that decisions are sprung on an uninformed public. An INFORMED public must be the aim of any HONEST administration?
We have MMP because the public perceived it as fairer and allowing more varied input. Don`t you think it was truely amazing that a major arguement mounted against proportional representation was that it is less efficient- as more varied input is involved. . An aspect of ‘first past the post’ particularly liked by those lobbies wanting ‘action’ was, I suspect, the lack of full and balanced debate before the public even ‘realised’ what was happening. (Hey… a side issue… I hope all good politicians are supporting discussion of the Greens bill re lobbyists – introduced into the house last night)
How can we question, and even vote sensibly, if ‘run of the mill’ information is restricted.
It might be argued that select committees are the opportunity for public input, but even enthusiastic submitters are compromised if the full background is not revealed. And then we have the farce such as with the Asset sales – Drip feed half baked spin, and then rush, rush, rush!!
Sadly I do not think many of the public are interested in the ‘lack of information issue’ much at all… but we should not actively restrict those that justifiably want to know.
But Jennifer, do not worry – nothing will happen with National in power
The trick is getting the balance right – but we clearly have unacceptable restrictions on information access at present