PM's office told to apologise for delay in flood response request

The rebuke follows Hipkins’ comments that he “absolutely expects” ministers to comply with the disclosure rules. (Image: Getty)

Staff reporters

Fri, 08 Sep 2023

Prime minister Chris Hipkins’ office has been ordered to apologise by the chief ombudsman for breaching the Official Information Act (OIA) after a delay in releasing information about the government's response to the Auckland floods in January.In a formal finding that has not been made public until now, chief ombudsman Peter Boshier has upheld a complaint by the New Zealand Herald about a weeks-long delay in the release of government documents.Under the act, a public body must provide a response within 20 working days of a r...

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