@publicintegrity.bsky.social
Read the report in full:
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publicintegrity.org.au/research_pap...
With genuine reform and leadership, the Government can still deliver the transparent and accountable democracy Australians were promised.
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At this early stage in its term, the Centre urges the Government to reset course — to honour its commitments to transparency, respect for Parliament, robust checks and balances, and action to stamp out corruption and undue influence.
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In this report, the Centre assesses the Government’s actions — and inaction — across these key democratic safeguards:
🧐transparency
🎩appointments
🤝limits on undue influence
💪bolstering public service
⚖️supporting institutions that hold power to account.
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#auspol
"They shouldn't have done it. Here, they're more or less admitting that. But the legislation is very clear; it's when in doubt you are to produce."
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But it begged the question why the document was ever in doubt of being produced, Mr Watson said.
"It's just a funny thing, this kind of obstructive mentality, where, when in doubt, they resist production," he said.
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"They obviously didn't wish to hand over those particular documents at one stage. They've rethought it and realised they should," he said.
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Geoffrey Watson SC, director at the Centre for Public Integrity, said it appeared to be an "entirely understandable, simple error".
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#auspol
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/909036...
"We know from the experience in NSW that it's only when upper houses flex their constitutional muscle and perform their constitutional obligations to hold the executive to account that the government has reason to comply."
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"The government has got to know the parliament has teeth or it will just ignore you," she said.
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Professor Appleby pointed to the landmark case of the NSW upper house flexing its muscle in the 1990s when it suspended then-treasurer Michael Egan and removed him from the chamber for refusing to comply with an order to produce documents.
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"If you haven't got parliament also performing its integrity role, then you have lost the coach because parliament is still where it matters," she told AAP.
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Centre for Public Integrity research director Gabrielle Appleby said parliament needed to lead on government oversight rather than purely leaving it to integrity bodies.
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#auspol
thewest.com.au/politics/law...
Join Us Live Online (Now): Anti-Corruption Commissions
Why they are undermined and towards best practice.
eventbrite.com/e/anti-corru...
#auspol
The parliament should conduct an independent and comprehensive review of FOI and develop a best practice approach for the access of information that meets the needs of Australia in 2025.
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Opposition Leader, Sussan Ley MP, has written strongly today opposing the FOI reform. The Centre welcomes this position.
This is now an opportunity to reset.
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#auspol
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908628...
“No supporter outside the government was to be found,” they wrote. The Australian Public Service Commission, Services Australia and the Attorney-General’s Department were the only three stakeholders that appeared to endorse the bill.
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As Catherine Williams and Gabrielle Appleby of the Centre for Public Integrity noted in a piece for The AFR on Tuesday, the Senate inquiry into the bill received “virtually unanimous damning assessments” in its submissions inbox, which closed last week.
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#auspol
Read the full CPI analysis here:
publicintegrity.org.au/research_pap...
What to do instead of this proposal?
Conduct a thorough review. Take into consideration the needs of the public and the needs of the government. Review best practice in other jurisdictions. Do not weaken the pro-disclosre approach.
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4. Cherry-picked reforms:
The proposed amendments have cherry-picked previous proposals and ignored other proposals that are directly relevant.
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3. Cont
These reverse the 2010 amendments, which were intended to level the playing field for applicants.
As former FOI Commissioner John McMillan said, make ‘public requests for documents … a more routine and accepted part of the daily business of government agencies.’
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3. Damaging consequences:
Re-introducing fees and the removal of the ability to make anonymous requests are likely to discourage the use of FOI, particularly by vulnerable and marginalised groups.
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2. No evidence to substantiate changes:
When asked to provide evidence to justify claims of vexatious requests by AI, other non-human actors or by criminal gangs, the gov tabled two articles from the US and (ironically) claimed Cabinet confidentiality for the rest of the docs.
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1. Not addressing structural reform:
Structural reform is required. Repeated reviews recommend it. But it needs to be comprehensive and structural and take input from the public and the government.
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The Centre has four key problems with the FOI reform. A that lacks evidence for justification despite repeated requests.
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www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
In opposition, the prime minister talked a big game on transparency. It’s about time he walked the walk on open government.
~ Opinion piece by the Centre's ED Dr Catherine Williams and Research Director Professor Gabrielle Appleby
#auspol
www.afr.com/politics/fed...
Read the press release in full here
publicintegrity.org.au/joint-statem...
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Professor Peter Greste, Executive Director, Alliance for Journalists' Freedom
“FOI has been a critical but deeply flawed tool for journalists wanting to get behind the curtain of government. We all welcome better transparency, but this is not the way forward.”
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Cont:
"This bill is bad news for every Australian and should be withdrawn or tossed out by the Parliament.”
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