Cabinet Exemptions in Australia — Saying Goodbye to the Midas Touch?
(2002) 102 FoI Review 65-67
4 Pages Posted: 18 Dec 2014
Date Written: December 16, 2002
Abstract
Cabinet Exemptions in Australia — Saying Goodbye to the Midas Touch? argues there has been an impermissible expansion of cabinet exemptions within Australia with all documents, no matter how remotely connected to cabinet processes, being cloaked by blanket secrecy. Therefore, information sensitivity is not comprehensively assessed but rather rendered secret even if remotely tarnished by cabinet processes. An illustration is the Brisbane Goodwill Pedestrian Bridge project. There, all project-related documents, despite not initially being prepared for cabinet proceedings, were subsequently annexed to a cabinet sub-committee submission. Information was then exempted merely by association and therefore rendered immune to public scrutiny. Legislative reform currently before the Legislative Council of South Australia indicates tentative recognition that cabinet exemption parameters be re-defined. One proposal requires methodical classification of information sensitivity at conception. The article argues contemporary expectations and FOI legislative objectives support such reform and information should not be subject to blanket cabinet secrecy.
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation