THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
LABOR CHALLENGES ABBOTT GOVERNMENT SECRECY IN TRIBUNAL HEARING
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus today challenged the Abbott Government's secrecy in a hearing of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Before Justice Annabelle Bennett AO, Deputy President of the AAT, Mr Dreyfus fought the Government's refusal to release under FOI the Incoming Government Brief (IGB) the Attorney-General Senator Brandis received from his Department on taking office.
"IGBs set out the policy challenges faced by a new government and advise on how the government can go about implementing its agenda. These briefs provide an important overview of the state of the nation at the time the new government takes office and help inform public policy debate", said Mr Dreyfus.
"Labor published IGBs from a range of agencies after the 2010 election and also released incoming Attorney-Generals briefs in 2012 and 2013. Public debate should be informed by the expert advice of government agencies which their taxes pay for. Honest governments have nothing to hide."
The Abbott Government refused Mr Dreyfus' FOI request for the Attorney-General's Department's IGB. It continued to resist disclosure through a review conducted by the Information Commissioner, forcing Mr Dreyfus to go all the way to a contested hearing in the AAT.
"The principle of open government the FOI Act upholds was reinforced by amendments made in 2010. These reforms should be respected by the current Government as an important part of upholding the rule of law."
said Mr Ben Slade, partner at Maurice Blackburn, whose firm represented Mr Dreyfus in the AAT.
"Unfortunately, Senator Brandis is openly hostile to FOI laws", said Mr Dreyfus.
In Senate Estimates in November 2013 the Secretary of his Department admitted that the Government was taking a "hardball" approach to disclosure. Senator Brandis has also sought to abolish Australia's independent FOI watchdog, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Though the necessary legislation has stalled in the Senate, Senator Brandis has imposed harsh budget cuts on the body and refused to appoint new statutory office-holders to the Office, which will soon be completely vacant.
TUESDAY, 28 JULY 2015
