The Victorian Freedom of Information Amendment (Freedom of Information Commissioner) Bill 2011 is before the Parliament. The main purposes are
- to amend the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to establish a Freedom of Information Commissioner; and to improve the operation of that Act;
- to amend the Parliamentary Committees Act 2003 to establish an Accountability and Oversight Committee of the Parliament;
- and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
The Minister's Media release provides a summary of the main points. Hard to argue with this:
Minister responsible for the establishment of an anti-corruption commission Andrew McIntosh said this was the most significant change to Victoria's Freedom of Information laws since their introduction almost 30 years ago.
It's a good and welcome development, delivering after a year on a pre-election commitment.
More on the model when I get through the detail.
However despite the reference in purposes to improving the operation of the FOI act, the bill is focused squarely on the commissioner's position, functions, powers and related matters and doesn't address the many weaknesses and outdated provisions in the act itself compared to reforms elsewhere.
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