Bill
Freedom of Information Amendment (Requests and Reasons) Bill 2015
lapsed, as at 2016-05-09.
- Sponsor
- Joe Ludwig
- Portfolio
- Not recorded
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2015-05-13
- second reading — 2015-05-13
- second reading — 2015-06-18
- second reading — 2015-11-26
- other — 2016-04-17
- other — 2016-04-19
- other — 2016-05-09
Divisions
No divisions recorded. Most questions are decided on the voices; this does not establish that a bill was unopposed.
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2015-05-13.
The bill would change the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to force agencies and ministers to release the text of FOI requests and the reasoning behind their decisions.
Agencies and ministers would have to post the exact wording of each request and a statement explaining why documents were given or withheld.
The changes would take effect three months after the bill becomes law, with the short title and schedules starting on royal assent.
- Agencies and ministers must publish the full text of FOI requests.
- Agencies and ministers must publish a statement of reasons for allowing or refusing document release.
- The public could see what requests have been made and why documents were or were not released.
- Applicants could build on previous requests for similar documents.
- The requirement would reduce duplicate requests.
- Publishing reasons would allow scrutiny of departmental decisions and could lead to review by others besides the initial applicant.
Government agencies and ministers, and the public who make or view freedom of information requests.
Sources
em
billhome