We welcome the government's commitment to review the Official Information Act as part of a wider move to improve open government in New Zealand.

We have written to Clare Curran, the Minister for Open Government, and Andrew Little, the Minister of Justice, to discuss how this should be done, in particular:

The NZCCL calls on you, and the Government, to commit to an OIA review that puts public participation in the policy development process at its heart. We can think of no better way for the Government to signal its commitment to the values of the OIA and Open Government Partnership, than to announce that it will work with the public and civil society to develop New Zealand’s next OGP National Action Plan, and to articulate a commitment in the plan that will guarantee an open, inclusive, participatory process for developing the proposals that will be taken to Cabinet and Parliament for amendment and improvement of the OIA.

And, as the Official Information Act is an important part of New Zealand's democracy and a key limit on government power, we naturally want to be part of this public participation.