Rudd serious about encouraging a culture of disclosure

This is starting to sound serious.

There's Kerry O'Brien on the ABC 7.30 Report, chatting away with the Prime Minister-Elect about a range of issues including the need to review standards for accountability, when out of the blue Kevin Rudd takes the conversation in the direction of Freedom of Information reform:

KEVIN RUDD: ...I'm determined that we can actually do better with some decency in the standards of government.

I also know, it's very easy to say those things before an election, then you become a government and you think well it's all a bit difficult now. But let me just give you one core example. I'm determined to do something about freedom of information. This is notoriously seen as something that executive governments don't like because it causes information to go out which might be embarrassing. I'd like to, by contrast, encourage a culture of disclosure within government departments.

I'm determined that we can actually do better with some decency in the standards of government.

I also know, it's very easy to say those things before an election, then you become a government and you think well it's all a bit difficult now. But let me just give you one core example. I'm determined to do something about freedom of information. This is notoriously seen as something that executive governments don't like because it causes information to go out which might be embarrassing. I'd like to, by contrast, encourage a culture of disclosure within government departments.

KERRY O'BRIEN: That of course can turn around very quickly to bite you and others have made promises like that and then recanted when they've seen how much potential it has to hurt.

KEVIN RUDD: I understand that but a lot of the bite is in the shock value of a leaked document which every newspaper editor salivates for and not to mention people who present programs like yours.

KERRY O'BRIEN: We'll take what we can get but there's been pretty slim pickings in recent decades, not just years.

KEVIN RUDD: I'm not being unrealistic about this but if there is information in government departments which is not critical to the decision making process, then ..

KERRY O'BRIEN: Then it gets down to people's definitions of what's critical to the process.

KEVIN RUDD: That's true but that parameter has been written very narrowly in recent times and I just think there is a body of information in the political domain which can be put out there into the public.