State draws veil over public access

THE public right to know what is going on in the corridors of power is a fundamental plank of democracy.

Effectively copper-fastening that basic entitlement, the use of the Freedom of Information Act by the media and individual citizens has contributed significantly to the creation of more open and accountable government and public administration in this country. Arguably, it has eased, to some degree, the burden of a media operating under archaic libel laws.

So, by any assessment, the Coalition’s plan to amend FOI legislation with the aim of restricting public access is regressive and flies in the face of the spirit of freedom.