WeCreate welcomes the Data and Statistics Bill as a tool for enabling the collection and use of data and statistics to help to inform decision-making in Aotearoa, including government policy and investment decisions.
WeCreate welcomes the Data and Statistics Bill as a tool for enabling the collection and use of data and statistics to help to inform decision-making in Aotearoa, including government policy and investment decisions. We are pleased to see acknowledgement in the Explanatory Note that the current Act is not fit for purpose, including data responding to the development of digital technology. We submit that the process of enacting legislation will never keep pace with technology and that provisions in legislation need to enable those responsible for delivering on the legislation’s intent to be empowered to do so. In regard to this, we note that the draft Bill appears to give the Minister a reasonable degree of influence over the decision-making processes of the data and statistics that will be gathered, both now and in the future. We would caution the extent to which a Minister should have influence in the system, versus the responsiblity and accountability of the responsible agency – StatsNZ.