7am ‘An assault on transparent government’: Albanese’s plan to make secrecy easier
Sep 14, 2025
Former Senator Rex Patrick, a leading voice in government transparency, dives into the Albanese government’s plan to dilute Australia’s transparency laws. Rex outlines the dangers of restricting Freedom of Information requests and the impact of new legislation that expands cabinet confidentiality. He shares personal experiences battling bureaucratic secrecy and emphasizes the need for accountability in governance. The conversation reveals how these changes could threaten public access to critical information and democracy itself.
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Public Ownership Of Government Information
- Rex Patrick argues government information belongs to the public because it's created with public money.
- He warns exemptions must be narrow so citizens can scrutinise major decisions like AUKUS waste plans.
Four-Year Fight Over Two Pages
- Rex describes a four-year legal fight to obtain a two-page legal advice about the Sports Rorts Affair.
- He says the government spent $546,000 opposing release and the advice proved controversial.
Reforms Expand Exemptions And Chill Advice
- Patrick says proposed FOI reforms expand exemptions and tighten cabinet confidentiality and advice protections.
- He warns the 'chilling advice' argument can be used to hide any controversial advice from public view.