Education Ministry official investigated for allegedly blocking Official Information Act requests

Footage released to one outlet captured senior Ministry of Education official Catherine Law telling staff to avoid putting certain ministerial communications in writing, noting they were “OIA-able.” Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Secretary of Education has already consulted the Public Service Commission and the Ombudsman and is handling the issue with utmost seriousness. Stanford rejected claims that she ordered officials to undermine the Official Information Act and stated that neither she nor her political staff have reviewed the documents in question.

When asked whether a culture of concealment existed, Stanford expressed hope that it did not. Labour leader and former education minister Chris Hipkins condemned any effort to sidestep transparency requirements as “inexcusable,” emphasizing that curriculum decisions should be open to scrutiny.