Foot dragging continues over Australian membership of OGP

In the last week the Open Government Partnership has been referred to in a joint statement by President Obama, President Pena Nieto of Mexico and Canadian Prime Minister Harper, and by Secretary of State Kerry and Indonesian government leaders. An Asia Pacific Regional OGP Conference in Indonesia in May has been announced with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to give the keynote. Recently UK, New Zealand and Irish ministers have spoken up publicly about the importance of the OGP.

But here the lofty objectives of the OGP are yet to experience the full warm embrace of an Abbott government minister.

Australia was invited to join in September 2011 and took until May 2013 to respond with an announcement of intention to join in April 2014.

 It's been close to silence since.

The foot dragging over signing on to a multilateral initiative that promotes transparency in government, encourages citizen participation and tackles corruption that has the support of 62 like-minded governments is perplexing. While we are still to enter the starting gate, OGP participating  countries have made over 1000 commitments to make their governments more open and accountable.

OGP participating countries have made over 1,000 commitments to make their - See more at: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/news#sthash.mMr2sF2e.dpuf

OGP participating countries have made over 1,000 commitments to make their governments more open and accountable.   - See more at: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/news#sthash.mMr2sF2e.dpuf

OGP participating countries have made over 1,000 commitments to make their governments more open and accountable.   - See more at: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/news#sthash.mMr2sF2e.dpuf

OGP participating countries have made over 1,000 commitments to make their governments more open and accountable.   - See more at: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/news#sthash.mMr2sF2e.dpuf

In Canberra yesterday the top table in Senate Estimates for the Attorney General's portfolio managed a few short answers to questions from The Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon about the current status of Australia's application to join. But as the minions who knew about such things had left the building, they said anything much in the way of detail would have to be taken on notice. 

Those on the receiving end were Australian Information Commissioner Professor McMillan who said he couldn't say as he had no recent formal involvement; Secretary of the Attorney General's Department Roger Wilkins who managed two sentences ("All I can tell you is that it is progressing and there has been some discussion amongst departments. There is some issue about which department should ultimately be charged with taking it forward, but that is about all I know of (sic) the top of my head"); and Attorney General Brandis who after these two efforts and informed by a piece of paper said there had been three inter-agency meetings, one in July and after the September election, in October and November, and a national action plan (a requirement of membership) is "in development." 

When Senator Rhiannon asked about timing and the announced plan to file for membership in April 2014, Mr Wilkins pointed out that April "was not a deadline." 

Seeing that the OGP rules are for the national action plan to be developed in partnership with civil society and there hasn't been a peep heard to date by interested parties on the outside, membership in April 2014 looks out of the question.

Compare and contrast this low key, nay barely visible approach with the recognition elsewhere that the OGP deserves attention at the highest levels of government.

Last week following the annual meeting of the Leaders of North America, President Obama, President Pena Nieto of Mexico and Canadian Prime Minister Harper, who must have had plenty to talk about, included a reference in their Joint Statement to support for the OGP, their commitment to transparency and open government and to promoting democracy, human rights and respect for international law throughout the world.


US Secretary of State Kerry and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa co-chaired the fourth Joint Commission Meeting of the U.S.-IndonesiaComprehensive Partnership. The US included in a long list of joint endeavours, support for "Indonesia’s chairmanship of the Open Government Partnership in 2014 by expanding engagement with youth and private sector entities with interest in OGP."


Separately, the OGP Asia PacificRegional Meeting was announced and will take place on 6-7 May 2014 in Bali. President Yudihono will deliver the key note address. 

Just a month or so ago Francis Maude UK Minister for the Cabinet office and Chris Tremain New Zealand Minister for Internal Affairs were publicly talking up their OGP plans and Brendan Howlin Ireland's Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform was calling European countries together for an OGP conference in May.

Meanwhile in Canberra, no doubt the matter is progressing through further discussion amongst departments.

Sigh.....