International Law

NSW Government Information Bill passed by both Houses

Rejected amendments included an attempt to have Parliament itself brought within the scope of the Act, particularly to ensure scutiny of $100 million allocated for Members' Support including payments to, and expenditures by, members. Attorney General Hatzistergos at one point claimed this information was already publicly available, and on another that what was being proposed " sounded like voyeurism." Ms Rhiannon says the failure to accept the Ombudsman's recommendations in this regard and the lead of countries such as the UK, Ireland, Scotland, India and South Africa tarnishes an otherwise good effort:

"Premier Nathan Rees says he wants to open up his government but he has locked the gate at Macquarie Street, ruining what should be a good news story," Ms Rhiannon said. "The public will still be barred from scrutinising how the $123 million annual budget for NSW Parliament is spent. "The Premier hoped these new FOI laws would signal a new era of openness but the exclusion of NSW Parliament signals that NSW Labor's love affair with secrecy continues. "MPs' pay and how they spend their generous perks and travel allowances will remain a state secret, despite the Premier's claims that 'the days of a secret state are over'.

· strengthen the Act's objects clause

· subject information now caught by a blanket FOI exemption to a
public interest test

· narrow the government's broad definition of cabinet documents
excluded from FOI

· reduce the new lengthier time frames for dealing with FOI
requests

· allow the Information Commissioner to ensure government agencies
comply with the Act.

Let the new era begin!!

Full post as published by Open and Shut on June 24, 2009 (boomark / email).