Greens launch bill for NSW FOI revamp

"For over a decade the government has ignored the NSW Ombudsman's
calls to review the FOI Act. His audits highlight that while the
number of people using FOI to try access government-held information
is increasing, less and less material is being released," Ms Rhiannon
said.

"In an age of government spin-doctoring it is vital that both the
media and public can lift the PR veil to scrutinise the operations of
government. The Greens will use our bill to put pressure on the major
parties to adopt an election platform that commits to reforming NSW's
freedom of information laws.

"In the 17 years since the Act came into force the context of
government has changed dramatically and technological advancements
have radically altered the way information is managed.  Yet our FOI
laws are languishing in the dark ages.

"FOI applications have almost doubled in the past decade. Meanwhile
the percentage of applications where all documents have been released
has dropped from 81 percent in 1996 to around 63 percent currently.
The number of applications refused in part has more than tripled
during this time.

"Applicants are being discouraged by unrealistic fees and lengthy
delays in processing requests. Government agencies are overusing or
misusing exemption clauses, such as cabinet confidentiality, to deny
access to information.

"The growth in public private partnerships and privatisation of
services means that information about major public services and
infrastructure is being kept under wraps via commercial-in-confidence
exemptions.

"The Greens bill requires that an independent review of the Act
consider the value of establishing an independent body to manage FOI
applications in NSW.

"The review must also examine how the FOI Act can alter the current
situation where applicants are in effect left to demonstrate why it is
in the public interest to release information. This clearly goes
against the spirit of the Act.

"The Greens believe now is the time to move to a system of proactive
disclosure, where the bulk of government information is automatically
made available via the internet.

For more information: 9230 3551, 0427 861 568. Second Reading Speech
and Private Member's Bill available on request.