Well believe that and I’ve got a nice harbour bridge to sell you !What can be said is no one who has done so has been caught and smacked with a penalty, currently $4440.The email below was received from National Archives Australia on 28 September 2022- it took seven months to get an answer.Section
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End of road for attempt at special FOI protection for "National Cabinet"
Schedule 3 of the previous government’s COAG Legislation Amendment Bill is for the dustbin, as Attorney General Dreyfus made clear on The Law Report last month” .. it’s our view that the meetings of First Ministers are ones that, if there is a need to provide protection from Freedom of Information applications, then the exemptions…
The COAG Legislation Amendment Bill likened to the Dog is a Cat Act
I was one of the witnesses at yesterday’s Senate Committee hearing on the government’s wrong headed, bizarre attempt to legislate that anything considered or decided by the ‘National Cabinet’ (the PM, state premiers, and territory first ministers) is not for any us to know unless the PM at his discretion decides to let it loose…
The Tribunal gives Government a drubbing: "National Cabinet is no cabinet committee "
The decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by Justice White rejecting arguments that documents concerning the operation of the “National Cabinet’ are exempt as cabinet documents cheered up those among us who keep lamenting the decline in transparency.Thanks to Senator Rex Patrick, something to cheer about, the first in a long time for years.The…
Diary of a despondent: an FOI journey to nowhere (so far)
Almost a year ago the Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Payne drew attention in speeches to two matters of significance in Australia’s international affairs-an audit report completed by the Department of Foreign Affairs at the request of the Prime Minister on Australia’s engagement with multilateral institutions, and what the Minister described as the important role…
Neither open nor ambitious when it comes to Australia’s open government plans
Having spent time and energy, commencing in 2011when the initiative was first announced, in encouraging, advocating and participating in Australian involvement in the Open Government Partnership, my optimism and enthusiasm for the cause has taken a nose dive in recent times. I’m glad a small cohort of determined supporters of democratic principles hang in there.But…
Senator Patrick chalks up important FOI win
He”s a vigilant determined defender of the spirit and intent of freedom of information.May the wind be at his back! In the Senate on Tuesday Senator Rex Patrick recounted a drawn out and eventually unsuccessful attempt by the Department of Prime Minister to deny access to the complete performance audit report into the handling of…
Reveal: Politicians easily dodge accountability for their mistakes-because they can!
Damian Shaw/AAP Chris Aulich, University of Canberra In recent days, the issue of government accountability was brought into sharp focus — again — when NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted that community grants awarded primarily to councils in Coalition seats ahead of the 2019 state election was pork barrelling. In defence, she said the…
Cabinet secrecy for the National Cabinet-maybe, maybe not
Seven months after its formation, the National Cabinet has made its way into the just published new edition of the Cabinet Handbook. (Pages 30-31) but is still to get a mention in the Government DirectoryAnyone looking for an explanation about what makes the NC and a range of committees and groups that come within…
Major parties respond with faint praise but nothing else to Senator Patrick’s FOI reform bill
In 2018 Senator Rex Patrick sponsored the introduction of the Freedom of Information Legislation Amendment (Improving Access and Transparency) Bill and made the second reading speech, the bill was referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, the Committee report recommended the Senate not pass the bill (Senator Patrick and Greens senators dissenting)……And…