Limo info to be released

The Government has been ordered to release details of ministers’ use of Crown limousines, after a three-year fight to keep those details secret. The Ombudsman ordered the release of the information and, barring a Cabinet-ordered veto, the Department of Internal Affairs will release details of thousands of trips taken by the Prime Minster and minsters in the tax-payer funded BMWs. While the cars are used for trips around the country, there is nothing stopping minsters from using the limos to run general errands. Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, says the information is “plainly” official, is readily available and should be released. "It cannot be a principled approach to withhold details of publicly funded travel merely because such travel was outside the scope of strict ministerial duties," he wrote in his official decision. "On the contrary, I consider that the public interest in disclosure is enhanced where transport funded by the public purse is utilised for non-official matters." While the Department has so far refused to release details on trips of 1km or less, Boshier says that the information is not only not privileged, but that even if it had been, the public interest in releasing it was strong. Boshier also recommended that details of future use will have to be released. The information will be presented in the coming weeks.