In the absence of any statement beforehand, the Budget on Tuesday will next indicate whether the government intends to maintain the position that it wants to legislate the Office of Australian Information Commissioner out of existence.
The Freedom of Information Act Amendment (New Arrangements) Bill, before the Senate since October 2014 but not brought on for a vote is not among the bills reintroduced during the two days parliament met in April.
The bill still gets a mention on Page 31 of the Senate list of Bills in the lapsed due to prorogation of the last session category.
As at COB on 19 July eight bills were introduced or reintroduced into the House of Representatives and 59 in the Senate.
Most, introduced by Labor and The Greens should be on a wish list instead, given Budget week is the only sitting before the PM says we are off to the polls.
This includes Senator Ludwig's Private Member's Freedom of Information (Requests and Reasons) Bill, a bill opposed by the government and thus with no prospects of passage in this parliament at least, but Labor senators canvassed its benefits during debate on FOI.
Senator Wong asked for an explanation from the Attorney General why a question on notice to the Prime Minister about the government's performance on freedom of information remained unanswered three months later. The senator didn't get much of answer other than the Attorney General said a request to him in the same terms was complex, sought "very detailed data" over a two year period and the three months included the summer break... Hmm.
In debate that followed Senator Wong and Senator Ludwig slammed the government's record on transparency and freedom of information with Senator Ludwig making what amounts to a big call given 34 years of history:
The Freedom of Information Act Amendment (New Arrangements) Bill, before the Senate since October 2014 but not brought on for a vote is not among the bills reintroduced during the two days parliament met in April.
The bill still gets a mention on Page 31 of the Senate list of Bills in the lapsed due to prorogation of the last session category.
As at COB on 19 July eight bills were introduced or reintroduced into the House of Representatives and 59 in the Senate.
Most, introduced by Labor and The Greens should be on a wish list instead, given Budget week is the only sitting before the PM says we are off to the polls.
This includes Senator Ludwig's Private Member's Freedom of Information (Requests and Reasons) Bill, a bill opposed by the government and thus with no prospects of passage in this parliament at least, but Labor senators canvassed its benefits during debate on FOI.
Senator Wong asked for an explanation from the Attorney General why a question on notice to the Prime Minister about the government's performance on freedom of information remained unanswered three months later. The senator didn't get much of answer other than the Attorney General said a request to him in the same terms was complex, sought "very detailed data" over a two year period and the three months included the summer break... Hmm.
In debate that followed Senator Wong and Senator Ludwig slammed the government's record on transparency and freedom of information with Senator Ludwig making what amounts to a big call given 34 years of history:
"Senator Brandis presides over the worst administration of FOI that this country has ever seen.."
