Guest Post: The Problem Isn’t the OIA – It’s the bureaucracy behind it

A guest post by Rhys Hurley on Kiwiblog

Taxpayers have a right to know what is being done with their money. The Official Information Act (OIA) is one of the only tools they have to find out.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has, however, asked his officials to review the cost of this system and even floated the idea of restricting access to some of this information.

Rhys Hurley: MBIE paying staff for daily waiata sessions

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Health New Zealand was holding compulsory "Karakia" sessions during work hours. Now, our own research has uncovered something even more absurd, this time at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

While Kiwi businesses are facing economic uncertainty, the Ministry supposedly responsible for helping businesses has been spending our money on Workplace Waiata – i.e. staff singing sessions in their Wellington offices. And this isn't just a one-off thing: At their swanky Wellington offices, MBIE were hosting 30 minute sessions every work day, every week!