Monash Expert: Freedom of Information inquiry report
Monash University
The Victorian Parliament’s Integrity and Oversight Committee tabled its report on its Inquiry into the Operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic). It contains 101 far-reaching recommendations to reform Victoria’s FOI laws.
Available to comment:
Associate Professor Johan Lidberg, Head of Journalism, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University
Contact details: + 61 404 949 250, johan.lidberg@monash.edu
Read more of Associate Professor Lidberg’s commentary at Monash Lens
The following can be attributed to Associate Professor Lidberg:
“I welcome the extensive and far reaching recommendations in the report.
“The recommendation to change the terminology from Freedom of Information (FOI) to Right to Information (RTI) is symbolically important.
“The report suggests a complete overhaul of the Victorian FOI Act and system, which is long overdue.
“The recommendation to change to proactive release of government information as the default is a crucial and welcome change. This makes FOI/RTI requests the last option instead of the first option. This could be a win-win for both FOI/RTI users and the overburdened and underfunded FOI/RTI officers in government agencies.
“Introducing harm and public interest tests for assessing why information should not be released is another crucial recommendation.
“However, the proof is in the pudding. It now remains to be seen if the current and future Victorian governments will respond in a meaningful way to these powerful recommendations.”
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