Latest news with #CentreforPublicIntegrity
Sydney Morning Herald
23-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news LIVE: Morrison tells US Congress Australia ‘going to sleep' on China threat; top court makes key climate ruling
Latest posts Latest posts 6.47am Labor going backwards on transparency, new analysis finds 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. 6.37am Australians 'going to sleep' on China threat, Morrison tells US Congress By Michael Koziol Former prime minister Scott Morrison has told the United States Congress that Australians are at risk of 'going to sleep' on the security threat posed by China, and warned the US and its allies they must be prepared to wear economic pain to stand up to Beijing. Appearing before a congressional hearing on the Chinese Communist Party, Morrison cited polling by the Lowy Institute that showed, in 2025, 50 per cent of Australians said China was 'more of an economic partner to Australia', whereas 47 per cent said it was 'more of a security threat'. That had changed significantly from 2021-22, a time of strained relations between Canberra and Beijing, when 63 per cent said China was more of a security threat and 33 per cent said it was more of an economic partner. 'That is an objective of the CCP – that Western democracies will go to sleep on the threat,' Morrison told the hearing. 6.35am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: The Albanese government will march forward with its legislative agenda after introducing two key draft laws on Wednesday. Labor is hoping the passage of its legislative agenda will be expedited behind support from the Coalition, which also appears receptive to its student debt reduction bill. It comes after the first question time of the 48th parliament on Wednesday, with the government and opposition exchanging blows spanning topics including housing affordability, climate change policy and superannuation tax reform. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has warned the United States Congress that Australians are at risk of 'going to sleep' on the security threat posed by China, and warned the US and its allies they must be prepared to wear economic pain to stand up to Beijing. He later told reporters that Australians' level of awareness of the security threat posed by China had clearly diminished significantly over the past three years. Countries besieged by the effects of climate change can legally pursue their neighbours for reparations if they fail to uphold their obligations to curb emissions, a top court has found. The historic advisory ruling was handed down by the International Court of Justice, and paves the way for massive compensation claims in a case brought by a group of law students from Vanuatu.
The Age
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Morrison tells US Congress Australia ‘going to sleep' on China threat; top court makes key climate ruling
Latest posts Latest posts 6.47am Labor going backwards on transparency, new analysis finds 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. 6.37am Australians 'going to sleep' on China threat, Morrison tells US Congress By Michael Koziol Former prime minister Scott Morrison has told the United States Congress that Australians are at risk of 'going to sleep' on the security threat posed by China, and warned the US and its allies they must be prepared to wear economic pain to stand up to Beijing. Appearing before a congressional hearing on the Chinese Communist Party, Morrison cited polling by the Lowy Institute that showed, in 2025, 50 per cent of Australians said China was 'more of an economic partner to Australia', whereas 47 per cent said it was 'more of a security threat'. That had changed significantly from 2021-22, a time of strained relations between Canberra and Beijing, when 63 per cent said China was more of a security threat and 33 per cent said it was more of an economic partner. 'That is an objective of the CCP – that Western democracies will go to sleep on the threat,' Morrison told the hearing. 6.35am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: The Albanese government will march forward with its legislative agenda after introducing two key draft laws on Wednesday. Labor is hoping the passage of its legislative agenda will be expedited behind support from the Coalition, which also appears receptive to its student debt reduction bill. It comes after the first question time of the 48th parliament on Wednesday, with the government and opposition exchanging blows spanning topics including housing affordability, climate change policy and superannuation tax reform. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has warned the United States Congress that Australians are at risk of 'going to sleep' on the security threat posed by China, and warned the US and its allies they must be prepared to wear economic pain to stand up to Beijing. He later told reporters that Australians' level of awareness of the security threat posed by China had clearly diminished significantly over the past three years. Countries besieged by the effects of climate change can legally pursue their neighbours for reparations if they fail to uphold their obligations to curb emissions, a top court has found. The historic advisory ruling was handed down by the International Court of Justice, and paves the way for massive compensation claims in a case brought by a group of law students from Vanuatu.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Albanese government worse than Morrison era at producing documents for public scrutiny, report finds
The Centre for Public Integrity has accused the Albanese government of having a poorer record than the Morrison government for producing documents for public scrutiny, with a leading barrister warning Labor's landslide win may further entrench secrecy. The warning comes after the centre assessed the government's response to freedom of information applications, a tool that allows anyone an opportunity to request documents that are not publicly available. In 2022-23, for the first time, more FOI requests were refused than fully granted to applicants, the report found, which it said undermined the transparency principles of the entire system. The Albanese government was first elected in May 2022. The report also found the number of FOI documents granted in full had fallen by more than half in just over a decade – from 59% in 2011-12 to 25% in 2023-24. It found the rate of outright refusals nearly doubled, from 12% to 23% during the same period. Further, when an FOI decision is challenged and reviewed by the information commissioner, the wait time has increased from six months in 2016-17 to 15.5 months in 2023-24. The centre's director, Geoffrey Watson, called on the Albanese government to 'reverse this worrying trend to restore the public's right to know.' 'The alarming deterioration in transparency is deeply troubling.' Watson said. 'With the Albanese government's supermajority, the risk of entrenched secrecy becomes greater, undermining democratic accountability.' The centre also found the Albanese government had a worse compliance rate with Senate orders for the production of documents than its Coalition predecessor. 'The Morrison government's compliance rate with orders to produce documents in the 46th parliament was 48.7% compared to the Albanese government's rate of 32.8% in the 47th parliament,' the report said. 'This represents the second-worst performance of any parliament since 1993'. The centre also public interest immunity claims over documents have been steadily increasing. These claims are used by the government to withhold documents by arguing their release would not be in the public interest. In the last parliament, one claim was made every week. Prof Gabrielle Appleby, a board member of the Centre for Public Integrity, said 'ministers are hiding information from the Senate and the Australian people'. 'There appears to be no other good explanation for such a significant deterioration in the rate of compliance. This is corrosive of democratic accountability,' Appleby said. The centre said that without an independent legal umpire, as exists in New South Wales, it was impossible to state how many of these public interest immunity claims were 'bogus and evasive or legitimate and necessary'. Earlier this year, the federal government refused to release a 32-page document outlining its draft response to a parliamentary inquiry that called for sweeping changes to gambling regulation. This week, the ACT independent senator David Pocock pushed for the documents to be published as part of a senate order for the production of documents. The Liberals and the Greens have given their support to the order, giving Labor until the end of the month to comply or explain why they will continue to keep the documents secret. In May, the information commission revealed the federal government was refusing freedom of information requests at a rate not seen for a decade. At the time, Transparency International Australia chief executive officer, Clancy Moore, said the FoI system was essential to ensuring accountability and integrity, but refusal rates suggested 'important information about the functioning of government is being kept from everyday Australians'. The Centre for Public Intergity report did note some improvements to the FoI system, including faster processing times and a reduction in the backlog of decisions awaiting review. In 2023, the Australian Financial Review reported the prime minister's office had initally refused to release his ministerial diary under freedom of information laws as it would 'unreasonably divert' staff resources and unreasonably interfere with his job. The decison was subsequently reversed.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Secretive Albanese government goes backward on transparency
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.
The Age
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Secretive Albanese government goes backward on transparency
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.
