NZ Council for Civil Liberties

open government

Articles

Chairperson’s Report 2024

It seems that authoritarianism and fascism are on the rise, with war and the oppression of civilian populations quick to follow. This possibility is exactly one of the reasons why we push back against the excesses of the state. Not only is government power against the individual prone to being misused, but its use reinforces the attitude that force is the answer to everything. Civil liberties and the protections of the NZ Bill of Rights Act are vital to maintaining a proper balance of power between the state and the people. Keep reading “Chairperson’s Report 2024”

News

CSOs call on the Minister for the Public Service and Finance to adequately fund Open Government Partnership work

Eight civil society organisations have written to Minister Willis who is both the Minister responsible for New Zealand's membership of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and Minister of Finance asking her to ensure that adequate funding is provided so that ambitious new pieces of work are committed to in our next National Action Plan. Keep reading “CSOs call on the Minister for the Public Service and Finance to adequately fund Open Government Partnership work”

Articles

Chairperson’s Report 2023

2023 was of course an election year, and it was an election campaign that civil liberties issues did not feature in much. However it seems that we now have a new government that has made a number of promises around changes to law enforcement, many of which have implications for both justice and civil liberties. Keep reading “Chairperson’s Report 2023”
Logo of the Open Government Partnership

Submissions

Comments on Aotearoa’s 4th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan

The draft of Aotearoa's 4th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan is another disappointing piece of work stuffed with pre-planned work, aside from one commitment on equitable access to public services. Read the Council's submission. Keep reading “Comments on Aotearoa’s 4th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan”

News

Media release: Open Government – Sham consultation on yet another weak plan

The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties today condemned the government for yet another in a series of weak National Action Plans produced as a member of the international Open Government Partnership (the OGP). Keep reading “Media release: Open Government – Sham consultation on yet another weak plan”