Official information is any information held by the government, including Ministers of the Crown in their official capacity, and Government departments and Ministries.
The Official Information Act promotes openness and transparency, enable greater public participation in government, and hold governments and government agencies to account. Our Ministry is committed to supporting those principles.
We encourage you to check our publication section on our website where the Ministry for Pacific Peoples proactively releases a range of OIAs and resources about our work. You may find the information you need is already publicly available on our website.
To assist the Ministry, and ensure you receive the correct information, your request should be as clear and specific as possible. To be a valid request, your information request must be specified with ‘due particularity’ meaning, the Ministry must be able to identify the information you seek. The Ministry will contact you for clarification, if necessary.
Details for requesting information from the Ministry are:
If your request is received by phone or in person, the Ministry will either confirm it in writing or, if we are unsure about what information you need, we may ask you to put your request in writing.
The Ministry will acknowledge your request once it is received. A decision will be communicated to you as soon as reasonably possible, and by law, no later than 20 working days after we receive it.
For any large or complex requests, or those requiring consultation, the Ministry may need to extend the maximum time limit under section 14 of the Official Information Act. If an extension is required, we will let you know and give you a specific due date.
If you decide to amend your request, or if the Ministry seeks to clarify your request, the amended or clarified version will be considered a new request and the 20-working day period will start from the day after the new request is received.
Requesting information is free, although the Ministry can charge a reasonable amount if it will take a lot of work to supply the information requested. There is no charge for the first hour spent on your request or for the first 20 pages of photocopying. The charging guidelines for OIAs are set by the Ministry of Justice.
The OIA states that information should be made available unless there is good reason to withhold it. Requests may be refused (in part or in full) or information may be withheld, however the Ministry will inform you of the reason and of your right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate the refusal, if you are not satisfied with the response.
If you did not receive a response to your request for official information within the statutory time limit, or you are dissatisfied with the response you receive, you have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman.
Directory of Official Information - this directory contains contact details for all government organisations covered by the Official Information Act.
Ombudsman’s Official Information Act guides - guidance documents relating to the OIA.