Restriction contradicts spirit of act

IF the Government’s proposed restriction of the Freedom of Information Act is approved, it will erect barriers between the public and their right to be informed of decisions which affect their everyday lives.

The manner in which the review of the legislation was undertaken it was carried out in secret by five senior civil servants was preposterous and belied the spirit and intent of the act itself.

The review called into question the Government's much-vaunted commitment to accountability and transparency and marked a step backwards to secrecy.