Checkpoint - The Official Information Act (OIA) is a way to hold the government to account.
But it can be hard to get information through this channel.
Requests are often extended beyond the required 20 working days, and when a response is received, the amount of information released ... varies.
Checkpoint with John Campbell reporter Zac Fleming received this OIA from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) ... only it was completely blacked out.
Fleming had asked MBIE about its controversial and, allegedly racist, pilot data modelling deportation programme.
As he told John Campbell, he got a series of black out pages instead.
Listen to the story here
What is official information?
Official information is information held by government agencies and local bodies and includes: Correspondence (including emails), meetings minutes, reports, studies, agendas, briefings, budget bids, submissions, consultants' reports, costings and policy papers.