Information is a national resource: Crikey's submission to the FOI Senate inquiry
Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) system is currently broken, characterized by systemic delays, excessive redactions, and bureaucratic obstruction that prioritizes secrecy over transparency. While the legislation originally aimed to empower the public and the press, its application has become a tool for government opacity, accessible primarily only to those with significant resources or tenacity. This shift undermines the democratic function of FOI laws, turning what should be a straightforward right of access into an arduous exercise in "administrative torture." The practical implications of this dysfunction are severe, eroding the ability of journalists and citizens to hold power accountable. Major exposés revealing government misconduct and mismanagement have historically relied on FOI requests, yet the current environment stifles investigative journalism and public scrutiny. When agencies routinely fight releases or withhold information through prolonged delays, the public loses critical insights into policy decisions, spending, and ministerial conduct, leading to a significant decline in trust regarding government integrity and operations. This issue is vital to open data because true transparency requires not just the release of information, but its accessibility and usability. An FOI system that is under-resourced and politically motivated fails to serve as an effective open data mechanism for society. For open data to fulfill its promise of accountability, governments must move away from viewing information as a guarded national resource to treating it as a public asset. Restoring robust, timely, and comprehensive data access is essential for rebuilding democratic trust and ensuring that citizens can effectively monitor their government.
Source: crikey.com.auPublished on 2023-05-30