Gabriel Ng (Menzies, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has taken significant steps to restore transparency and trust in government. We recognise how important this is in an era of increasing misinformation and polarisation, particularly at the fringes of society, and as usual we see those opposite peddle that fear and misinformation.

We have established new standards of transparency and accountability. We created the National Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2023. For the first time at the federal level, we have an independent watchdog with broad powers to investigate serious and systematic corruption across ministers, MPs, staffers, public servants and contractors. Those opposite went to the 2019 election promising a national anticorruption commission, and then they left the Australian people waiting for three long years. It wasn't until we came to government that this important measure was put in place to ensure integrity in our federal system of government.

After years of secrecy and inaction under the coalition, the National Anti-Corruption Commission represents a strong commitment to integrity in government. Equally, in our first term, we announced the robodebt royal commission. This inquiry showed the depth of the coalition's culture of secrecy and contempt of Australians. Only under Labor were $1.7 billion repaid to more than 430,000 victims of this illegal scheme, confirming that we put people first, not profits.

Beyond these reforms, we have also introduced stricter rules on grants to prevent rorting, reversed secrecy around National Cabinet to restore freedom-of-information accountability and legislated emissions reductions targets to bring credibility back to climate policy. Over nine years of government, the coalition stacked the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with so many unqualified party hacks that the only way to salvage this important essential function of reviewing government decisions was to abolish the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and put in its place the Administrative Review Tribunal, where members are appointed according to qualifications and merit. We've also re-established the Administrative Review Council—a key robodebt recommendation. We've strengthened the Public Service Act to protect agency independence, and we are reforming the freedom-of-information system to ensure it works fairly and effectively. This stands in stark contrast to the coalition's culture of hidden and secret governments.

The member for Berowra referred to our freedom-of-information reforms that the Attorney-General will introduce to this parliament. The current freedom-of-information system is 40 years old and no longer fit for purpose. Like so much of what the coalition clings to, it's well out of date. We are committed to transparency and a robust freedom-of-information regime, but freedom-of-information costs have been increasing exponentially. In 2023-24 financial year, they increased a significant amount—23 per cent. This is not sustainable, especially in an age of vexatious requests. Our reforms will ensure that genuine freedom-of-information requests are prioritised, that anonymous freedom-of-information requests are no longer permitted and that the scheme itself remains sustainable and fit for purpose in an age of increasingly vexatious requests.

Those opposite, in bringing this question, show an incredible amount of hypocrisy. Let's talk about transparency in the last Liberal government. I referred to the robodebt scheme, introduced under the Abbott government. Over 430,000 Australians were issued with debts totalling $1.7 billion—many of them falsely. Mind you, at the time, the government hid internal legal advice in 2014 and 2015 warning the scheme was unlawful. Documents showing the Morrison government's and other ministers' direct involvement were buried until the royal commission forced their release. We are talking about government secrecy. The member for Berowra was in government during the worst of it. In 2019, we found that $100 million in community sports grants were allocated to mates ahead of the federal election—the famous colour coded spreadsheets directed at marginal seats. It was money meant for kids, clubs communities that was diverted for political gain. The Albanese Labor government is getting on with making government more transparent. (Time expired)

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