Katene Rahui: Appointments — Chief Ombudsman and Ombudsman 
Katene Rahui: Appointments — Chief Ombudsman and Ombudsman 
[Volume:660;Page:9111] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 Almost 2 years ago on 17 April 2008 Te Ururoa Flavell spoke in the House of the support the Maori Party had for the appointment of Beverley Wakem as Chief Ombudsman. In that speech Mr Flavell said: “We wish her great courage in continuing to tackle the truth to be curious to be sceptical and to not be sidetracked by the political spin.” I am delighted to observe that Ms Wakem has certainly lived up to the challenge set out by the Maori Party that day. 
As a former chief executive of Radio New Zealand and having come from an impressive career in broadcasting and public relations Beverley Wakem was used to shaping the news rather than being the focus of the news herself. But in December 2008 her decision to tackle the truth about the role of public servants in relation to Official Information Act requests catapulted her head first into the news. Ms Wakem suggested that some public servants were playing games with Official Information Act requests. 
Out of her professional curiosity tempered with the requisite scepticism she confronted the situation by announcing that the Office of the Ombudsmen was concerned that some parts of the Public Service had been deliberately delaying responses to Official Information Act requests. In the office’s annual report to Parliament Chief Ombudsman Beverley Wakem subsequently concluded that the practice was unacceptable and subverted the purpose of the legislation. She identified what she described as a regrettable tendency to game the system and delay responses until the complainant’s interest in the matter had passed. It is statements like that that demonstrate the determination of Ms Wakem to bring sharp intellectual rigour and moral fortitude to the role of Chief Ombudsman. 
The name of the Office of the Ombudsmen Te Tari-o-Nga Kaitiaki Mana Tangata tells us that it is an office that gives priority to the protection and promotion of the rights of people. It is a name that expresses the importance of the guardian caring for the overall good of the people. Another attribute that we see in the work of Ms Wakem is that not only is she prepared to make public statements but she goes one step further and tries to introduce strategies and support to help address any issues she identifies. 
As a classic example of this it is perhaps useful to go back to the statement about Official Information Act requests. Although noting the disappointment that the office had with the way in which Official Information Act requests were being issued the office immediately conducted a series of briefings with public sector chief executives and representatives of political parties and published guidance material to help improve understanding and practice in this area. 
Whether it was a direct result of those workshops is unknown but it is of interest to note that the number of complaints received under the Official Information Act increased by 10 percent over the past year to 897. How agencies deal with requests and communicate with those requesting the information is a critical part of the role. It is perhaps worrying that after 25 years of the Official Information Act being enacted some Government agencies are still not responding appropriately but that is a debate for another day. For the purposes of this debate we merely seek to congratulate Bev Wakem on the influence she has already brought to bear as Chief Ombudsman. 
The Office of the Ombudsmen plays a critical role in the lives of many New Zealanders. The Maori Party has the most profound respect for the work of the people who fulfil this role. The challenges they face are significant: investigating complaints about the decisions of central and local government agencies and Ministers of the Crown and taking responsibility to tackle the truth. 
The Office of the Ombudsmen encourages citizen participation in the democratic process. It maintains the decorum of respect that we would expect to see between individuals and agencies. For all these reasons we are happy to add our support to the motion to endorse Bev Wakem in this important role. 
Motion agreed to.