TIME TO END THE SECRECY
THE chorus of groups and individuals calling for much- needed reform to Tasmania’s secretive culture around disclosure continues to grow louder by the day. Today, a report from the Australia Institute has issued a stinging assessment of the state’s transparency — or lack thereof — believing a range of improvements are needed to fix laws governing electoral donations, Right to information requests and the state’s integrity commission.
The report was backed by former Victorian Supreme Court judge David Harper QC, who said Tasmania was one of the least transparent states regarding RTI and political donation legislation.
He said in other states, serious examples of corruption were revealed by royal commissions or anti- corruption authorities, saying the same could not be said for Tasmania — and that the lack of inquiries by the integrity commission could lead to an illusion the state was free of corruption.
The Australia Institute said a piecemeal approach to improving the state’s transparency was not good enough, and that a full suite of reform was necessary — including that the integrity commission be beefed up and given more power.
Meanwhile, federal MP Andrew Wilkie has argued the state’s RTI laws are broken and an inquiry into the state’s culture of secrecy is needed.
That call comes just weeks after it was revealed Tasmania was the worst jurisdiction in the country when it came to releasing information under RTI.
In almost a third of cases, authorities refuse to release any information at all — while ones that are can often by shrouded by a sea of black ink.
The intent of the legislation was to do the exact opposite — but to not disclose is quite often the default position.
As we have written in recent weeks, there is most often no good reason for the denial of information that is legitimately in the public interest.
Let us be clear, this is not just a case of journalists and editors being frustrated with the system — it is about so much more.
A secretive culture means that you, the taxpayer, are often denied information on what you absolutely have a right to know.
Unfortunately, it also means that you are paying for people whose job it is to spin, obstruct, obfuscate and apparently protect the government for its failings.
Last week’s announcement of a commission of inquiry into a series of claims into sexual abuse in Tasmanian government institutions was a welcome move.
In this case, Premier Peter Gutwein has shown he is open to greater scrutiny.
As we have said before, this government is not to blame for all of the current problems relating to transparency, but they have the power to fix it.
This government can — and should — do something about it.