19 February 2016 MEDIA STATEMENT

Report slams Nats ‘openness’ and ‘transparency’

The National Government has sullied New Zealand’s international reputation for openness and transparency, leaving us exposed to widespread criticism in a damning report released today, says Labour’s Open Government spokesperson Clare Curran.

“The Open Government Partnership report on New Zealand has found a lack of consultation and ambition in opening up the government, an action plan consisting of programmes already underway and not designed to improve government practice.

“The Government’s ‘inaction plan’ was caught out not addressing any of the pressing transparency issues that have recently been identified.

“These include blocking access to official information, the new practice of charging for official information, operational problems in the Ombudsmen’s office or last year’s High Court ruling that the government’s response to requests for information about the Trans Pacific Partnership was unlawful.

“The report urges the Government to commit to some hard targets for real transparency and openness. National should accept these recommendations immediately,” says Clare Curran.

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