The AJF Speaks at the Senate Inquiry into Secrecy Legislation Reforms

The AJF welcomes the government’s decision to abandon its proposed Freedom of Information reforms after listening to arguments from the AJF and other advocacy groups that these changes would have weakened - not strengthened - access to information. The bill sought to imposed new fees, banned anonymous requests and expanded grounds to refuse access to government documents - measures that would have made it harder for journalists, advocates and the public to scrutinise those in power.Access to information is a cornerstone of democracy. The government’s original bill was an acknowledgement that the current FoI system is broken and in dire need of reform. The AJF would be happy to work with it to create something that genuinely supports access to information. ‍