The Albanese government is under fire for proposed changes to Australia's freedom of information (FoI) laws, which critics say undermine transparency pledges. Attorney General Michelle Rowland introduced the overhaul without public consultation, sparking concerns about a drift away from open government.
The changes would allow public servants to issue blanket refusals for applications taking over 40 hours to process. They also expand exemptions for cabinet documents, potentially covering any information ministers might consider in future, and extend exemptions for deliberative processes with new work-arounds to prevent disclosure.
Transparency advocates warn the reforms would impose new fees of $30-$50 for applicants not seeking personal information, excluding marginalised groups and costing media organisations thousands annually. The Centre for Public Integrity noted that already excluded communities would be most affected.
Rowland defended the changes, citing a flood of anonymous applications and requests from AI bots or vexatious applicants. However, when challenged in the Senate, the government presented only two overseas media articles as evidence, ironically refusing to release other supporting documents.
The move echoes a historical irony: Malcolm Fraser, who introduced Australia's first FoI law in 1982, later saw it used to reveal his own hidden portrait. Now, the Albanese government risks failing its own transparency promises.
