Senator John Faulkner
14/2009
5 May 2009
Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State, Senator John Faulkner today launched Information Awareness Month at the National Archives of Australia.
During May, events will be held across Australia to promote the broad theme of information diversity - supported by a number of information industry and professional bodies including the National Archives of Australia and the Records Management Association of Australasia.
At the launch, Senator Faulkner said consultation on the Government’s exposure draft of the Freedom of Information (FOI) reform Bill was continuing with a public “round-table” this week, hosted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The deadline for submissions on the draft Bills is May 15.
Senator Faulkner said that he had written last week to Commonwealth Department Agency Heads, urging them to take a lead role in the Government’s FOI reforms.
The letter states: “These reforms, although important, will not deliver the openness and transparency so essential to accountability and to a robust democracy, unless FOI decision-makers embrace the disposition towards disclosure which informs the FOI Act reforms.”
Senator Faulkner said that not all documents could or should be released under the FOI Act and there will always be some which should properly be exempt under the FOI Act.
But as the letter states: “The challenge in reforming FOI laws, is to extend access to government documents as far as possible without jeopardising the confidentiality of material that is genuinely confidential to government.
“Openness and transparency in government is an essential prerequisite for a strong and robust democracy, and the Government seeks your assistance in implementing its policies in this area.”
Speech at launch of Information Awareness Month - National Archives of Australia
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