The Victorian Ombudsman's annual report tabled in Parliament recently includes about the investigation of complaints about Freedom of Information matters. Complaints were down by 4% on last year, perhaps reflecting improvement resulting from the Ombudsman's highly critical special report on the operation of the Act last year.
The report found several cases involved misleading reasons for claiming exemptions and some decisions that showed little regard for the objectives of the Act. "Some agencies took advantage of every available exemption to provide as little material as possible".
Delay, beyond the 45 day time limit, and an inability to locate files were also identified as ongoing issues of concern.
The FOI section is at page 20 in the report.
This blog takes an interest in issues associated with Freedom of Information (FOI) and privacy legislation in Australia. Information contained on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Follow Peter Timmins on Twitter: @foiguru Follow the open government cause through the Australian Open Government Partnership Network. www.opengovernment.org.au and @opengovau
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