It would seem there is a new red flag in dirty politics: if you get an Official Information Act (OIA) request back in double-quick time, there's something suspicious going on.
Twice, the OIA has been linked to dirty politics. Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater got a response to an OIA request to Judith Collins in 37 minutes. He also got information, via the OIA, from the intelligence agency SIS in four days.
Organisations are entitled to take 20 working days and media are often blocked. When it comes to the SIS, conventional media would be lucky to get anything at all. It is, in fact, well known among media that either an unusually speedy or unusually co-operative OIA response has some hidden meaning.
The Official Information Act is a terrific tool, and I applaud the day it was generated more than 30 years ago, because it is fair and reasonable the public are able to view the workings and operations of government departments. Those departments - and their ministers - become more accountable.
It is also fair and reasonable that organisations can decline on the basis of national security, or because the information will stuff up a commercially sensitive process.