Policy Watch first raised the issue of missing data back in October 2013. A recent media release from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) indicates this mystery has not been solved. CPAG spokesperson Dr Gerry Cotterell is concerned the “Ministry of Social Development no longer produces its annual Social Reports, which provided a picture of progress towards better social outcomes for New Zealanders, using a set of statistical indicators to monitor trends across key dimensions of people’s lives“.

CPAG is calling on research organisations to seek data through the Official Information Act 1982. The key issue for CPAG is the lack of transparency of decision-making when key data is not made publicly available. At the end of the day we all want the same outcome: healthy, innovative citizens who can pass on the mantel of the ‘good citizen’ to the next generation. To achieve this we all need to understand the world around us and how it is changing. The public sector is in the best position to provide this bigger picture data otherwise the rest of us are simply left floundering in the wind.