Freedom of Information? Not so free now – Part 2. ART and the Audit of the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982
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...
Invitation to the Jim Carlton Memorial Lecture 16 Nov 2016
Integrity in Public Life: The Jim Carlton Memorial Lecture Accountability: Do programs work? (and how can we find out?) Through a glass darkly .... This is the question the Hon Peter Baume will address in his Jim Carlton...
Political Donations. ART submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 2a. Ken Coghill submission
POLITICAL FUNDING and PARTY RULES Following on from our JSCEM submission on political donations by Colleen Lewis, this post reproduces Ken Coghill's submission 48 to JSCEM, also on political funding and donations to parties....
Political Donations. ART submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 1. Colleen Lewis submission
POLITICAL FUNDING - THE KEY CHANGES NEEDED Accountability Round Table has made two submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters' inquiry into the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Bill 2016. This standing...
Our priorities for research and campaigns
- Exposing the role of money and the influence of lobbying and reducing their hold on government and political culture
- Promoting openness in government, and how decisions are influenced and made
- Re-asserting the Parliament’s critical but constructive role.
- Battling the tide of mis- and dis-information.
ART policy - Freedom of Information
A powerful and independent freedom of information scheme must be a central feature of a functional democracy, an essential step toward enhancing transparency and accountability.
The existing basis of FOI legislation laid down in the 1980s is sound – yet over the last decade the culture has become one of secrecy and obstruction. Statutory time limits are commonly breached and redactions are the norm.
An Integrity System for Australia
The reforms in brief:
A National Integrity System that is proactive, preventive, coordinated and cooperative | A National Integrity Commission that is independent, has investigative powers, makes recommendations and findings of fact, can investigate the judiciary | Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner
Political donations regime & election funding
The reforms in brief:
Caps of ~$1,000 on donations | Real time disclosure | Limits on election campaign expenditure incl. third party entities | Sanctions for electoral breaches | An independent body for public funding | Laws that require truth in political advertising
Civil society engagement
The reforms in brief:
support civic participation in the OGP | value public participation in decisions and policy | recognise the benefits of public engagement, including that of women | make policy and decisions more transparent | allow NFPs freedom of expression, association and opinion | greater collaboration
see more here …
Data in politics & government
The reforms in brief:
Ban covert digital techniques of influence | remove electoral & privacy act exemptions | supervise government data collection | recognise that personal data cannot be de-identified | control profiling for political use | control government buying-in data | cover social media in advertising rules | ban government data on-selling | citizen opt-in rights
Lobbyists
The reforms in brief:
In-house lobbyists incl. in Register | matters discussed disclosed | documents made public | funds, gifts & events declared | oversight of Code & Register by the National Integrity System | campaign donations & expenditure limits | more public engagement in decisions | Senate role in countering undue influence
Integrity Lecture, Awards
Submissions
National Integrity Commission, OAIC, OGP