3 MAY
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
1445

Dated at Wellington this 18th day of April 1984.
A. E. MCQUEEN,
for General Manager, New Zealand Railways Corporation.
(N.Z.R. L.O. 30082/3/2) (1)

Direction Not to Disclose Information

PURSUANT to section 32 (4) of the Official Information Act 1982, a copy of the direction to the Secretary of Labour made under section 32 (1) (a) of that Act and set out in the Schedule below, together with the grounds for the direction and the source and purport of any advice on which the direction was based (which are also set out in the Schedule below) are hereby published.

SCHEDULE

SECRETARY OF LABOUR

1. This is to advise you that I have decided that the information sought by K. Johnston and recommended to be released by the Chief Ombudsman, pursuant to section 30 (1) of the Official Information Act 1982, concerning labour market forecasts and estimates of unregistered unemployed, should not be made available to him and accordingly direct you pursuant to section 32 (1) (a) of the Official Information Act 1982 not to release it.

2. The grounds for the direction are that pursuant to section 9 of the Official Information Act, and notwithstanding the opinion of the Chief Ombudsman, the release of the information sought would undermine the constitutional conventions as to the neutrality of officials and the confidentiality of their advice. It would also undermine the free and frank expression of opinion between Ministers and officials and the protection of officials from improper pressure or harassment.

3. More specifically:

(a) In the matter of forecasts and estimates of unregistered unemployed, the opinions of departmental officials on the labour market outlook and, implicitly, on the effectiveness of current policies for dealing with it, could well be at variance with those of the Government. In itself this need not be unhealthy. However, it is not unreasonable to expect that such differences of opinion if released publicly, would be aired and indeed exploited. This would naturally draw officials into the public debate and the distancing of officials from such debate is an important constitutional convention designed to maintain their political neutrality.

(b) By virtue of the fact that existing policy forecasts and estimates of unregistered unemployment imply a commentary on the effectiveness of those policies, release of such material would necessarily breach that constitutional convention which allows officials to tender confidential advice to Ministers of the Crown.

(c) Occasions are envisaged when under conditions of particular uncertainty, officials may refrain from preparing forecasts or generating estimates of unregistered unemployment if there exists a possibility of misrepresentation or misuse in the political arena or in the course of public debate or use for purely political or ulterior purposes. This would clearly serve to constrain the “free and frank expression of opinions” by officials of the department to its Minister and would thereby undermine the effective conduct of public affairs.

(d) Circumstances are envisaged under which departmental officials may be placed under some pressure during the course of the public debate to modify their opinions as to the labour market situation and outlook.

4. The question of whether there are other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that information available has also been considered. No such considerations have been identified.

5. The advice on which this direction is based has been received from the Secretary of Labour in the form of a summary of the department’s position in relation to its labour market forecasts and estimates of unregistered unemployed and their use. The purport of the advice is as set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 above.

JIM BOLGER, Minister of Labour.

Notice of an Application for an International Air Service Licence

PURSUANT to section 7 of the International Air Services Licensing Act 1947, notice is hereby given that Japan Airlines of Tokyo, Japan has applied for an International Air Service Licence to operate twice weekly air services for the carriage of passengers, cargo and mail between Tokyo and Auckland via Nadi. Further details of this proposal may be obtained from the Secretary for Transport, Ministry of Transport, Private Bag, Wellington.

Any person or organisation wishing to make representations relating to this application must forward those representations to reach me on or before 25 May 1984.

Dated at Wellington this 24th day of April 1984.

A. G. MALCOLM,
Minister of Civil Aviation and Meteorological Services.

Kuranui College Board of Governors Notice 1984

PURSUANT to section 54 of the Education Act 1964, the Minister of Education hereby gives the following notice.

NOTICE

1. (a) This notice may be cited as the Kuranui College Board of Governors Notice 1984.

(b) This notice shall come into force on the 30th day of April 1984.

2. There shall be a Board of Governors for Kuranui College which shall be constituted as follows:

(a) One member appointed by the Wellington Education Board;

(b) One member elected by the teachers of the school;

(c) Six members elected by the parents of the pupils attending the school;

(d) One member appointed by the Carterton Borough Council, the Greytown Borough Council, the Featherston Borough Council, the Martinborough Borough Council, the Wairarapa South County Council and the Featherston County Council;

(c) Two members to be co-opted by the Board of Governors itself, if and when it sees fit.

3. The Wellington Education Board shall cease to control Kuranui College and the sole control of that school shall be vested in the Board of Governors constituted by clause 2 of this notice on the 1st day of August 1984.

Dated at Wellington this 12th day of April 1984.

M. L. WELLINGTON, Minister of Education.

The Local Government Training Board Notice 1982, Amendment No. 1

PURSUANT to section 34 of the Vocational Training Council Act 1982, the Minister of Labour hereby gives the following notice

NOTICE

1. Title and commencement—(1) This notice may be cited as the Local Government Training Board Notice 1982, Amendment No. 1 and shall be read together with and deemed part of the Local Government Training Board Notice 1982 (hereinafter referred to as the principal notice).

(2) This notice shall come into force on the 14th day after its notification in the Gazette.

2. Clause 2 amended—(1) Clause 2 (a) of the principal notice is hereby amended—

(a) By omitting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(1) A chairman who shall be elected by the members of the Board from amongst those members of the Board appointed by the Municipal Association of New Zealand (Inc.), the New Zealand Counties Association (Inc.) and the New Zealand Catchment Authorities Association”.

(b) By omitting paragraph (7) and substituting the following paragraph:

“One member appointed by the Institute of Professional Engineers, Municipal Division.”

(c) By omitting paragraph (13).

(2) Clause 2 of the principal notice is hereby amended by revoking subclause (b) and substituting the following subclause:

“(b) the Local Government Employer Association whose appointee is elected chairman of the Board shall be entitled to appoint a further member in place of the chairman.”

3. Clause 3 amended—Clause 3 (d) is hereby revoked.

Dated at Wellington this 18th day of April 1984.

JIM BOLGER, Minister of Labour.