[Greens-Media] Premier must commit to act on FOI law reform

[Lee Rhiannon]

Media Release
23 April 2008

Premier must commit to act on FOI law reform 

Greens NSW MP Lee Rhiannon has called on the Iemma government to make a commitment to overhaul NSW’s outdated FOI laws and provide a public response within six months to recommendations of a review of FOI laws initiated this week by the NSW Ombudsman.

In 2006 the Iemma government voted against Lee Rhiannon’s private member’s bill to initiate an independent review of the NSW FOI Act.

"After more than a decade of refusing to review NSW FOI laws Premier Morris Iemma should bite the bullet and commit to reform. The Premier should also publicly commit to providing a written response to recommendations arising from the Ombudsman’s review of FOI laws within 6 months," Ms Rhiannon.

"Premier Iemma has failed to review and revamp the almost 19 year old FOI Act because he views secrecy as an asset, not a failure.

“To restore credibility the Premier should champion a new culture of openness and accountability.

"The Premier should be embarrassed that his leadership failure means that the Ombudsman has to do what is properly the government's work.

"The Ombudsman warned in his 2005-6 annual report that he would conduct his own review of the administration and provisions of the FOI Act if the government failed to act, and still Mr Iemma did not do his job. 

"When the Ombudsman has to step in and do the government's work Mr Iemma is clearly failing as premier. 

“Prime Minister Rudd and Victorian and Queensland Labor premiers have all recently initiated reviews of their FOI laws so Premier Iemma should explain why he could not do the same in NSW. 

"The Greens has called on the Ombudsman to consider requiring government agencies to actively and routinely publish government held information on the web, with limited exceptions, thus reducing the public's reliance on FOI requests. 

"We need an independent 'Information Commissioner', responsible for FOI and privacy, to facilitate a shift to open government, monitor compliance with FOI laws and assist individuals with complaints," Ms Rhiannon said. 


For more information:	Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568