Thursday, July 05, 2018



A public duty

The Christchurch City Council is ignoring an Ombudsman's ruling to release information under LGOIMA:

The Ombudsman is calling on the country's top law officer, the Attorney-General, to launch enforcement proceedings against the Christchurch City Council over its continued refusal to release the cost of a touch wall in its new library.

Despite the instructions of the Ombudsman more than a month ago, the council is still to make the cost public.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said he was disappointed the council had failed to release the cost within the timeframe required under the law.

[...]

He said he has written asking that the Attorney-General, David Parker, consider issuing enforcement proceedings against the council.


The Council's behaviour is of course illegal. Once the Ombudsman issues a final opinion, they have 21 days in which to pass a veto resolution. After that, there is a public duty on every member, officer and employee of the Council to obey it. The problem is that while there's a public duty, there's no enforcement provision or offence clause. And this case seems to be another example of why we need one.

Meanwhile, there are problems with transparency in the Auckland Council, Christchurch City Council, and central government. What's the common factor in all of these bodies? Labour party hacks in charge. Despite talking up transparency in opposition, Labour are no friends of it when in power, and even willing to behave illegally to thwart it. Remember that next time you vote.