State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman and Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain say there will be a stronger focus on privacy and security across government with the creation of a Government Chief Privacy Officer (GCPO). “The Department of Internal Affairs is being realigned to strengthen privacy and security across the public service,” said Coleman. “The creation of a Government Chief Privacy Officer gives additional support to the Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO) to set standards and provide leadership and assurance that privacy is managed appropriately.” The GCIO is leading a two year programme to ensure New Zealanders have trust and confidence that their information is secure by improving information privacy and security practices in government. The GCPO role will lead an all-of-government approach to privacy and will be responsible for providing leadership, assurance and advice on privacy issues, support to agencies to meet their privacy responsibilities, and coordinated engagement with the Privacy Commissioner. Internal Affairs will work closely with the Privacy Commissioner to develop the new function. State sector chief executives remain accountable for privacy in their agencies and Ministry of Justice continues to manage privacy policy.
