The purposes of this Act are, consistently with the principle of the Executive Government’s responsibility to Parliament,—
to increase progressively the availability of official information to the people of New Zealand in order—
to enable their more effective participation in the making and administration of laws and policies; and
to promote the accountability of Ministers of the Crown and officials,—
and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote the good government of New Zealand:
to provide for proper access by each person to official information relating to that person:
to protect official information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy.