The Star: June 01, 2017
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi<br />
Thursday <strong>June</strong> 1 2<strong>01</strong>7 7<br />
of Official Information Act<br />
In response, Judge Boshier<br />
said: “I am heartened by your<br />
interest in this area.” While he<br />
added that he would “greatly<br />
appreciate the opportunity to<br />
discuss this with you in person”,<br />
none of the information Mr<br />
Brownlee sought was supplied.<br />
Instead, Judge Boshier and Mr<br />
Brownlee met on September 8 in<br />
a conversation that left the Chief<br />
Ombudsman with a feeling of<br />
“unease”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> comment is revealed in an<br />
email from Judge Boshier to Andrew<br />
Kibblewhite, chief executive<br />
of the Department of Prime<br />
Minister and Cabinet, who had a<br />
staff member at the meeting.<br />
Judge Boshier wrote: “Unless<br />
I am mistaken, there is a<br />
perception that our Office wants<br />
everything released. <strong>The</strong> Minister<br />
approached this meeting in<br />
quite a businesslike fashion, and<br />
I think the reason for that was<br />
a genuine perception that the<br />
rules have changed and that we<br />
are pushing for a wider range of<br />
ministerial advice and briefings<br />
to be released.<br />
“I am genuinely worried about<br />
this perception.”<br />
He told Mr Kibblewhite he<br />
hoped the briefing he got from<br />
his staffer showed “the rules have<br />
not changed at all”.<br />
Judge Boshier took over the<br />
role in December 2<strong>01</strong>5 and has<br />
been regarded by some as overseeing<br />
a sea-change in the Office<br />
of the Ombudsman, which was<br />
struggling under the burden of a<br />
massive workload and investigations<br />
which were long-delayed.<br />
But his approach has caused<br />
nervousness in some parts of<br />
government after the office’s support<br />
for the release of information<br />
traditionally believed to be<br />
safe from scrutiny.<br />
That has included advice from<br />
officials, legal advice and other<br />
closely held material.<br />
Mr Brownlee told the Herald<br />
he felt “frustration,” rejecting<br />
any suggestion his ill-aimed OIA<br />
request was placing pressure on<br />
the Office of the Ombudsman.<br />
“I appreciate the importance of<br />
the OIA in a democracy,” he said.<br />
He said there was a lack of<br />
certainty around when information<br />
should be withheld from<br />
public release in cases of “free<br />
and frank advice” from officials<br />
- withheld so as to promote open<br />
advice to ministers – or commercial<br />
information, which was<br />
also considered sensitive.<br />
He said he accepted everything<br />
that was done in government<br />
would be made public<br />
eventually - but some information<br />
needed to operate under<br />
a cloak to be most effective for<br />
citizens.<br />
Auckland University of Technology<br />
lecturer Greg Treadwell,<br />
who has carried out doctoral<br />
research on the OIA, viewed Mr<br />
Brownlee’s letter to the Office<br />
of the Ombudsman and asked:<br />
“What’s he doing?”<br />
At first glance, he said it<br />
appeared Mr Brownlee didn’t<br />
know basic OIA principles even<br />
though he was approaching the<br />
end of a third term as Cabinet<br />
minister.<br />
“This is why I think it is a<br />
deliberate shot across the bows.<br />
He appears to be angry with the<br />
Ombudsman’s [EQC] decision<br />
and that seems almost inappropriate<br />
to start demanding voluminous<br />
amounts of information.<br />
That’s not quite ministerial<br />
behaviour.”<br />
Labour’s Megan Woods, who<br />
speaks on Canterbury issues,<br />
said during Mr Brownlee’s<br />
period as Minister for the EQC,<br />
people in Christchurch had<br />
resorted to using the OIA to get<br />
updates on their claims over<br />
earthquake damage.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> ability to do that was<br />
hugely important to people.”<br />
– NZ Herald<br />
CCTV<br />
cameras<br />
for Woolston<br />
• By Noah Graham<br />
STREET surveillance cameras<br />
have gone up on Ferry Rd in an<br />
attempt to thwart robberies in the<br />
Woolston Village.<br />
Last week, city council installed<br />
two sets of CCTV cameras on<br />
traffic lights outside Cycle Around<br />
Again and the Woolston Tavern<br />
to help monitor the road and protect<br />
Woolston Village shops.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woolston Discounter has<br />
been a frequent target over the<br />
past year with nine robberies taking<br />
place in seven months.<br />
It was hit again on Sunday<br />
when a man armed with a pistol<br />
attempted to take cigarettes and<br />
lollies but dropped most of the<br />
items on the way out of the store.<br />
Store owner Sujan Barra said he<br />
had not been told of the surveillance<br />
cameras but hoped they<br />
would prevent his shop from being<br />
a frequent target.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ferry Rd Night ‘n Day store<br />
has also been a target, having<br />
been robbed 10 times in the past<br />
nine months.<br />
Owner of the convenience store<br />
David Lee said with the cameras<br />
installed he “certainly feels safer.”<br />
Still trying to get your<br />
EQ damage or repair<br />
issues sorted<br />
We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners get<br />
what their policy promises.<br />
Talk to us about our “no win-no fee” approach.<br />
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Ph: 03 377 8855 | 127 Ferry Road, Christchurch City<br />
E: reception@earthquakeservices.co.nz | W: www.earthquakeservices.co.nz