2026: Freedom of Information Battlelines Have Been Drawn
Senator Fatima Payman
WA independent Senator Fatima Payman is gearing up for a fight for transparency, committing to move a motion on the first sitting day of 2026 to dispose of the government’s dodgy Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation.
Today the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee released its long-awaited report which outlines how little support the FOI Amendment Bill has in its current form.
Senator Fatima Payman said she was unsurprised about the committee’s findings and urged the government to return to the drawing board with the legislation.
“For a government that spent much of their time lamenting the secrecy of the Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison government, the Labor Party are sure giving the LNP a good, hard run for their money in terms of secrecy,” Senator Payman said.
“And now they want to decrease transparency further by making the hurdles that Australians are required to jump over to access information impossibly high.
“Well I won’t allow them to push through this over-reaching legislation without a fight, and I hope the Opposition, the Greens and the Crossbench stick to their guns on opposing the FOI Bill in the new year.”
ENDS
Contact details:
Ash Telford
Chief-of-staff
0424 375 160