"In all of my parliamentary life one bane that has been consistent is governments of both persuasions resorting to commercial-in-confidence excuses for blocking from going to parliament information that is required for proper decisions to be made."
Senator Brown went on to say
"Freedom of information ought to have been legislated long ago for the private sector as well as for the public sector because the private sector—as we have just witnessed from the global financial crisis and the need to put its way billions of dollars from the public sector as with the stimulus packages, which are getting up towards $100 billion of taxpayers’ money—is very, very dependent upon the largesse of taxpayers. It cannot resort to secrecy then when taxpayers’ representatives in the form of senators want to look at information which is critical to making decisions."Thanks to Open Australia for the Hansard link.
Perhaps in the course of the Senate inquiry someone will raise the silence since about the Government intention announced in March by Minister Faulkner, that the Australian Law Reform Commission be asked to look at FOI or alternative access and disclosure law for the private sector?
Peter
ReplyDeleteYou could have at least made a reference to the Anything Goes post....
On the question of silence, you will find that much of the crusade being pursued by Senator Faulkner will go slower following his move to Defence.
However, I think the PM remains committed to the agenda - but some of his Ministers - and certainly the bureaucracy - will fear any reforms.
The short way to ensure that the question you pose gets considered by the committee will be to make a submission and to seek an invitation to appear before the committee.
David,
ReplyDeleteHappy to mention Anything Goes at http://davidhavyatt.blogspot.com/
Slow- glacial more like it.