The Privacy Act sets out boundaries as to how an agency (defined in the Act) collects, uses and discloses personal information about individuals. Under the Act, individuals have a right of access to, and correction of, personal information held about them by an agency. The Act also places limitations on the disclosure of personal information about individuals. The basic position is that personal information about an individual must not be disclosed unless certain exceptions set out in the Act apply.
The Official Information Act regulates the making available of official information. Section 12 of the Act provides that any person may request a Department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to make available to him or her or it any specified official information. Official information is defined, in part, as meaning any information held by a Department, or a Minister of the Crown in his or her official capacity, or an organisation. The Act also provides for good reasons for withholding official information.
