Bills

Freedom of Information (Ministerial Diaries) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 1 December 2021).

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (17:57): I rise to speak in support of this bill. I commend the Hon. Robert Simms for his initiative. He referred to the provisions in it as 'basic transparency measures', but it is more than that. It is also an integrity measure. Entries in diaries in other states—Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT—have proven to be effective in integrity investigations. They are required to provide copies publicly. Those entries become particularly important when ministers are required to defend their positions on matters, or in the event there is a suspicion of political influence being exerted from, say, lobbyists and donors, like property developers.

I note the Premier is resisting FOI pressure from the opposition trying to shed some light on his curious relationship, or friendship, with one of the Liberals' biggest donors: the enigmatic and mysterious Sally Zou. Why the reluctance? Transparency, sunlight is always the best disinfectant. The requirements in this bill are not intrusive on a personal level. They would simply require the information to include meetings, events and functions that relate directly to the minister's responsibility. It means they are an open book on their dealings.

This bill would have been handy if it were in force when, I guess it is, the dormant Attorney-General, the Hon. Vickie Chapman, was going through the process of considering the Smith Bay wharf project on Kangaroo Island, which she killed off despite it being approved by the State Planning Commission. It would have been enlightening to know who the minister may have met with connected to this project. Questions still remain, but if there was nothing to see about her call, perhaps the diary entries may well have cleared the air over her decision. We will never know, of course.

It is interesting that around two years ago we were debating a lobbyist bill in this place, which would have created a register as well as place restrictions on those who would be eligible to be a lobbyist, preventing recently retired MPs fresh out of state or federal level, which was one of my amendments, from acting in the role for a period of years. It was a sensible bill, but it bit the dust inexplicably. Newly minted lobbyists may have been threatened by it.

The Leader of the Opposition has promised to scrap political donations if he wins government. We would support it and hold him to it. It is a turnaround from the measure I sought, and Labor opposed, to stop donations by property developers and other building industry persons to councillors during the local government reform bill. We will look at reviving the lobbyist bill with inclusion for providing information from ministerial diaries should this bill not pass, if the honourable member reintroduces it in the Fifty-Fifth Parliament. With that, I say that we support the bill.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. H.M. Girolamo.