[Letter from Minister of Finance to Ministers:] Proactive Release of Budget 2009 Documents
p1
(
All on 13 May 2009
)
Hon
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
Dear
PROACTIVE RELEASE OF BUDGET 2009 DOCUMENTS
I am writing to inform you that I have decided to proactively release all Budget 2009 related
documents on the Treasury website on Thursday 18 June, three weeks after Budget day.
Treasury has been proactively releasing Budget-related documents on its website for the last
three years. This has considerably reduced the number of Official Information Act (OIA)
requests over that period, which consequently reduces the amount of time Ministers’ Offices
have to spend on answering requests. Given the resource and time benefits of proactively
releasing these documents, I have agreed to continue with this practice.
Treasury Vote teams will process all the documents I have agreed to release to remove any
information that would normally be withheld under the OIA. Deleted information generally
covers issues of commercial sensitivity, free and frank advice and issues under active
consideration. The ‘release versions’ of the Budget documents are then forwarded to
Ministers’ Offices to ensure you are satisfied with the material. Once you and your Office
have considered the release documents prepared by the Treasury, please confirm with my
Office that they are ready to be released.
The final date for confirmation of the release documents is 1.00pm, Tuesday 16 June 2009.
Yours sincerely
Hon Bill English
Minister of Finance
