Source: Office of the Ombudsman
The Chief Ombudsman John Allen has today asked to urgently meet the Secretary of Education to discuss concerns he has about reports of attempts to circumvent the Official Information Act at the Ministry.
Media reports have featured an extract from a leaked video, where a senior staff member from within the curriculum centre allegedly tells staff not to write down interactions with the Minister of Education’s Office to avoid their discovery under the OIA.
There are also claims that this incident is not a one-off.
“I have significant concerns about these allegations,” Mr Allen says.
“Public trust and confidence in the Ministry and the OIA would be undermined if they were found to be true.
“I am taking this issue very seriously and am now considering what action I may take to provide some independent scrutiny of these matters through a broader investigation under the Ombudsmen Act 1975.”