MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
INTERNATIONAL RIGHT TO KNOW DAY
Today is International Right to Know Day.
Since 2002, International Right to Know Day has helped to raise awareness of the importance of open, transparent and accountable governance. When people have access to government information, they are better informed and governments are more accountable and make better decisions.
Regrettably, this third term Liberal Government does not believe that Australians have a right to know. Members of this Government, from the Prime Minister down, do not want Australians to know how they make decisions, who they meet with or how tax dollars are being spent.
What were seeing in this third term Liberal Government is a growing culture of cover-up and denial.
In light of this, it is no wonder that the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has this week called on the Government to do more to make information available for the benefit of Australians.
This call comes as the Morrison Government is accused of showing contempt for journalists and the public's right to know by stifling freedom of information requests and ignoring its legal obligations to provide information to members of the pubic.
Such is their contempt for the public's right to know, the Morrison Government refuses to even appoint a standalone Freedom of Information Commissioner!
Whether its intimidating journalists for doing their jobs in a way that embarrasses the Government, behaving as if they are above the law when it comes to the Freedom of Information Act,or simply refusing to provide information to Parliament when MPs or Senators seek to hold them accountable on behalf of the Australian people, this Government has a long and sorry record when it comes to respecting and upholding the public's right to know.
This third term Liberal Government can and must do better.
Labor calls on the Government to mark this years International Right to Know Day by:
- ruling out the prosecution of journalists like Dan Oakes, Sam Clark and Annika Smethurst for doing their jobs;
- ensuring that the Office of the Australian Information Commission is appropriately resourced so that it can fulfil its essential functions in a timely and effective manner;
- committing to take freedom of information requests seriously; and
- complying with the Governments legal obligations under the Freedom of Information Act now and in the future.
SATURDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2019
