Former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer has warned that government transparency and access to official information are deteriorating under the current coalition, Newsroom reports.
Palmer, a constitutional law expert, says open government requires more than rhetoric—it demands institutional commitment to transparency.
Palmer is one of the Pacific's most respected constitutional voices. He literally wrote New Zealand's Bill of Rights Act. When he warns about democratic backsliding, it matters for the region.
The concerns center on Official Information Act (OIA) processes. Requests are taking longer. Responses are more heavily redacted. Government departments are finding creative ways to delay or refuse disclosure. The pattern suggests a shift away from the transparency principles Palmer helped establish.
New Zealand's OIA has long been considered one of the world's strongest transparency laws. Any person can request official information. Agencies must respond within 20 working days. Grounds for withholding are limited and must be justified.
But the law only works if there's political will to support it. Governments uncomfortable with scrutiny can undermine transparency through slow responses, excessive redactions, and narrow interpretations of disclosure obligations.
Palmer's warning connects to broader democratic concerns. New Zealand ranks second globally in the Democracy Index, but that status isn't guaranteed. Democratic quality can erode through incremental changes—slower OIA responses, less media access, more secrecy around policy decisions.
Mate, this matters beyond New Zealand. The Pacific Islands Forum looks to New Zealand and for democratic leadership. When one of the region's strongest democracies shows transparency declining, it affects regional governance norms.
