This is edition 2025/54 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Still a “game of hide and seek” – 30+ years of OIA shenanigans
Bryce Edwards
- 📜 Jem Traylen, now at The Integrity Institute, previously reported on public service issues at BusinessDesk.
- 🏛️ Focus on transparency, integrity deficits, and conflicts of interest in public sector.
- 🔍 Today's briefing covers open government issues and Chief Ombudsman's remarks on OIA reform.
- 📑 Historical context: OIA's impact since Jim Bolger's government.
- 📝 Challenges in document accessibility and transparency persist within the public service.
- 📊 Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier calls for improved compliance with the Public Records Act.
- ⚖️ Emphasis on cultural change rather than full OIA overhaul.
- 🔄 Ongoing calls for legislative reforms to strengthen transparency and accountability.
- 🕵️♂️ Persistent delays and defensive approaches in handling OIA requests.
- 📅 Political promises and delays in reviewing and reforming the OIA.
- 🚦 Ongoing issues despite reported improvements in timeliness statistics.
- 📈 Identified issues warranting legislative changes by Boshier.
- 📰 Concerns over resources and timeliness targets at the Ombudsman's office.
