The Official Information Act is an important facet of New Zealand's democracy. By making all government information available on request, unless there is a reason for it to be withheld, it allows citizens to hold their government to account. However, to be effective, it requires the ministers and government departments to honour their roles in releasing information willingly and in a timely manner.  

Blogger No Right Turn has been collecting OIA performance data from the ministers, with results ranging from Chris Finlayson's 100% on-time record to Gerry Brownlee's dismal 39% with only a few scoring above 90%. Sadly the results show that ministers are failing to honour their obligations under the Official Information Act.