EARLY SIGNS ON CHANGE FROM SECRECY TO DISCLOSURE ARE NOT ENCOURAGING

As Senator Faulkner the Special Minister of State said when announcing his FOI reforms, the real test will be whether there is a change in culture towards FOI applications and if there is more of a disposition towards release of documents rather than refusal.

This first example that has come to light of whether there has been a change in the culture is not strictly an FOI matter, but it was not encouraging to see the response of the Minister for Community Services Senator Macklin when asked to release the Harmer Report on pension reform. She has refused to release the details and the excuse seems to be that decisions on the report would be made pending the outcome of the Henry Tax Review later this month. That might be so , but does it do any harm to release the report now?

Again, although this also is not an FOI matter, the Prime Minister did not contribute much to open government when refusing even to comment on reports that there had been unlawful entry to The Lodge in Canberra by characters described as 'bikies' and apparently carrying forged documentation. That old standby 'security' was used as the excuse for not commenting. That might be justified in appropriate cases,but the press is understandably annoyed that the Prime Minister's press office lied as to whether there was any such incident at all, as there clearly was.

For me, the Prime Minister's attitude on this issue was an echo of his Deputy Ms Gillard's response on two occasions when asked during Mr Rudd's absence about the Joel Fitzgibbon matter. Her reply was that 'this matter is now closed', a good way of getting rid of an issue and helped by an obliging press who lamely fell into line.

I still think the government should be given a chance to show that there has been a change in the culture of disclosure versus secrecy. But the early signs are not good.