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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-08 Daily Xml
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Freedom of Information Laws

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Hon. Rob Lucas, Treasurer, representing the Attorney-General, the Hon. Vickie Chapman, about freedom of information laws in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Recently, the South Australian Ombudsman, Mr Wayne Lines, was highly critical of the state's current FOI laws, saying that ministers and heads of government departments should face penalties for delaying and obstructing the flow of documents. An expert in FOI, Professor Rick Snell from the University of Tasmania, described them as 'worse than the rules of a Third World country'. Last year, there were 10,555 FOI applications. In 1991-92, when the law was introduced, there were just 1,208, so there is now a huge demand for transparency and information.

Therefore, my question to the Attorney-General through the Treasurer is: in light of the criticism levelled, will his government now conduct a total overhaul of the act, as they indicated when in opposition, and include recommendations made by Mr Lines; and does the government intend to release documents if they are requested by the State Ombudsman, the Coroner and the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Judge Lander, including those cabinet documents relating to the Oakden scandal?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:29): I am happy to take the honourable member's questions on notice, refer them to the Attorney-General and bring back a reply. I think, in relation to the last question, the Attorney-General, on behalf of the government, has already made some public comment. That is the provision of documents requested by the ICAC commissioner in certain circumstances, and I am happy to have included in the reply what the government has already put on the public record. In concluding my response, having been an avid user of freedom of information for many, many years, I am looking forward to answering many of the FOI requests I have made, which remain unanswered, on the passage of the 16 years.

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