by jmsthornton | Oct 12, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Privacy
MC17-009951 The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP Minister for the Environment and Energy Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 11 October 2017 Dear Minister (Title crossed out and amended by hand to “Josh” (ed) ) I refer to the email you received dated 3 July 2017 from...
by jmsthornton | Jun 11, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government Partnership (OGP)
Accountability Round Table has long held concerns about the protection of Freedom of Information given the abolition of the oversight body, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), followed by its restoration in a weakened and underfunded form....
by jmsthornton | Nov 20, 2016 | Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Public Trust, Reforms, Submissions
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION Open Government Australia in its Draft National Action Plan includes Commitment 3.1 – Information management and access laws for the 21st century. At present the draft commitment reads; “We will ensure our information access laws are...
by jmsthornton | Nov 14, 2016 | Auditor General, Freedom of Information, News, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Submissions
The Accountability Round Table continues to be concerned about the reduced state of the Federal Freedom of Information Act and its implementation. The role of the freedom of information Commissioner remains vacant and has been vacant for some 22 months. The submission...
by jmsthornton | Oct 19, 2016 | Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The Accountability Round Table has long been concerned about the reduced state of the Federal Freedom of Information Act and its implementation. The submission below, and its covering letter addresses part of our concern in drawing attention to the administration of...
by jmsthornton | Aug 19, 2016 | Code of Conduct, Federal Government, Fitzgerald Principles, Freedom of Information, Lobbying, News, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Public Trust, Queensland, Queensland Crime Commissions, Reforms
This paper, “Democracy at the Crossroads?” was delivered by Hon Tim Smith QC at the Cairn’s Tropical Writers Festival, 11 August 2016. In it, he sets out two broad principles to which members of parliament should adhere, The “Fitzgerald Principles” and The...