David Seymour
ACT Party Leader
The Ombudsman should investigate Gaurav Sharma’s claim that Labour MPs are being coached on how to deliberately subvert the Official Information Act.
Yesterday, I wrote to Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier to ask that his office investigate Sharma’s claims.
Dr Sharma told Newshub that Labour MPs elected in 2020 were forced to attend a workshop where they were coached on:
‘…how to talk to somebody without having a track record of it so nobody could track it down the road.’
Sharma alleges staff in the Prime Minister’s office use different employment “hats” and pick which one they’re wearing when they receive information:
‘They said the staffing arrangements are done in a way that some staff work part-time for Labour Leader’s Office and part-time for Prime Minister’s Office and when they want to prevent OIA, they just sort of make it that this is Labour Leader’s problem, this is not the Prime Minister’s office problem and then they can get away with it.’
He told Newstalk ZB:
‘If there is anything when we need to fudge stuff we just say this is a Labour Leader’s Office issue. This is not a Prime Minister’s Office issue. Don’t send anything in text, don’t send anything in email…because we don’t want a paper trail.’
Dr Sharma’s allegation that Labour MPs are being advised how to skirt the Act in order to keep interactions with Ministers and staff in Ministers’ offices secret is concerning.
This kind of behaviour is directly contrary to the purposes of the Official Information Act. The Act’s purposes are to increase the availability of official information to New Zealanders, enable them to participate in law-making, promote accountability, and enhance respect for the law.
Allegations that the Government is coaching MPs to get around the Act are serious and contrary to the principles of that legislation. The Ombudsman should investigate them.