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New FOI laws begin, Infrastructure Australia bids hidden
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has criticised the Keneally government for failing to comply with a vote of the NSW Upper House ordering the full release of submissions by the NSW Government for federal Infrastructure Australia funding, despite the Victorian government agreeing to release its in May and the state’s new freedom of information laws commencing tomorrow.
The government tonight produced one box of blacked out documents and another privileged box that can be only seen by MPs, and asked for an extra 9 days to provide supporting material to the bids, despite already having 21 days to get the material ready.
Read the letter from Department of Premier and Cabinet giving their excuses and why documents are deemed privileged.
"The Keneally government has again claimed important documents as privileged which should be in the public arena," Ms Rhiannon said.
"This secrecy is in direct contrast to the Brumby government which agreed to release their submissions in May, following a protracted FOI battle initiated by Victorian Greens MP Greg Barber.
"Hiding the documents does not bode well for NSW’s new freedom of information laws which begin tomorrow.
"Keeping the papers under wraps, in defiance of the NSW Upper House, shows the Keneally government has not entered a new era of openness but fallen at the first hurdle.
"The public has a right to scrutinise whether major infrastructure projects put forward by NSW are in the public interest and offer value for money.
"The government claims no one should see the economic business case, cost benefits or traffic forecasting for the $4.5 billion dollar proposed M5 Expansion.
"The cost benefits and traffic forecasts for a major motorway project like the M5 expansion should be scrutinised.
"NSW has been criticised for providing inferior Infrastructure Australia bids, lacking detail on benefits and costings.
"Perhaps the NSW government is embarrassed about the quality of their submissions and lacks confidence that they will survive scrutiny.
"When examining Victorian bids to Infrastructure Australia my colleague Greg Barber found the WestLink freeway offered a poor economic return, while funding for rail upgrades delivered positive economic benefits," Ms Rhiannon said.
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