The act owes its existence to the Committee on Official Information, chaired by Alan Danks, which reported in 1980 and 1981. The Danks Committee recommended replacing the Official Secrets Act with a regime grounded in openness. Former Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier repeatedly warned that many agencies approach OIA requests defensively, treating them as threats rather than democratic obligations. Health New Zealand has been repeatedly criticised for practices “contrary to law”, including notifying requesters that a decision has been made without stating what that decision is, even after statutory deadlines have passed. The tragedy is that the Official Information Act remains fundamentally sound.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 01, 2026 17:01 UTC