Secretive Albanese government goes backward on transparency

The Age

4 days ago

Labor is hiding information from the public more often than the Morrison government despite campaigning on a platform of integrity, frustrating a critical accountability mechanism intended to maintain faith in bureaucrats and keep politicians honest.
Analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity shows Canberra's culture of secrecy has sunk to its worst point in more than a decade, with the proportion of freedom of information requests released in full plunging from almost half in 2021-22 to just 25 per cent under Labor in 2023-24.
The government is increasingly releasing documents to the public filled with black ink covering up key sections of text and Labor is more often ignoring Senate votes requesting details on policies and ministers' decision-making.
Independent senator David Pocock said the data under Anthony Albanese's watch was shameful compared to the prime minister's predecessor, Scott Morrison.
'To be more secretive than the government of a prime minister who had five secret ministries is something the Albanese government should be deeply embarrassed about and ensure they fix in their second term,' he said.
Rejection of freedom of information requests over nine years of Coalition government hovered between 10-18 per cent, but spiked to 24 per cent in Albanese's first term. And the proportion of documents granted in full dropped from almost 60 per cent in 2012 to 25 per cent in the year to July 2024.
Official reviews of these decisions to block information found that only 45 per cent of the refusals were made on legitimate grounds, meaning more than half the justifications for secrecy were flawed.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland's spokesperson pointed out that the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner had its funding boosted by Labor, a move endorsed by the Centre for Public Integrity.