Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor government loves to talk about transparency. They promise openness, integrity and accountability. But with this Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 they have done the opposite. This bill is not about Freedom of Information; it is about freedom from scrutiny. It weakens the public's right to know, entrenches secrecy and reduces accountability of the federal government. It is the most significant roll-back of transparency laws in over 40 years. Labor tells us this bill will modernise the freedom of information framework and improve efficiency, but, when you look very closely, it becomes clear. What they really mean is to make it easier to say no—make it easier to encourage dysfunction and to encourage and reward incompetence.

Let's look at what the bill actually does. Schedule 1 rewrites the objects of the act to prioritise the proper functioning of government over the public's right to access information. Schedule 2 bans anonymous requests, ending protections for whistleblowers, advocates and citizens who fear reprisal. Schedule 3 introduces a discretionary 40-hour processing cap, allowing agencies to stop searching once the request just gets that little bit too difficult. Schedule 4 extends decision timeframes from 30 calendar days to 30 working days, delaying responses. Schedule 5 changes the Information Commissioner's review processes in a way that limits third-party participation. Schedule 6 creates application fees for freedom of information requests and reviews. This is effectively a truth tax on citizens seeking information. Schedule 7 expands cabinet and deliberative process exemptions, making it easier to refuse requests without even searching for one document. Schedule 8 allows a different minister or agency to respond if a minister leaves office.

This bill moves freedom information from a presumption of openness to a presumption of control. I'll say that again: it moves from a presumption of openness to a presumption of control. So much for transparency. Australians will only see the final announcements—never the debates, never the advice and never the disagreements that led to those decisions. The coalition opposes this bill because it undermines transparency, accountability and trust in government. This bill was introduced without consultation and rushed into the parliament despite the findings of the 2023 Senate FOI inquiry, which made it clear that the real problems are under-resourcing, delays and cultural resistance within agencies. Labor has clearly ignored those findings. Instead of fixing the system, they're breaking it even further. It takes a lot of talent!

Let's be honest. This is not a reform born out of necessity. It is a reaction to scrutiny—a desire for less scrutiny. I can't believe I'm saying those words. I just cannot believe it. By banning anonymity, Labor silences whistleblowers and vulnerable applicants. By imposing the fees, they make transparency a privilege only for those who can afford it. By expanding exemptions, they ensure that the most politically sensitive information will stay hidden. Every major integrity body, transparency advocate and media organisation has condemned this bill, and so they should. Not one of them supports it. The only supporters, of course, are the bureaucrats who would rather not be questioned. They're cheering from the sidelines. This is not just poor policy; it is procedural abuse. Yet, here we are, being forced to consider it before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee has even reported. They've been working hard on this very issue. Their report is due on 3 December. What's the rush? Why can't we wait until that report is finished so that we can look at the recommendations? We could all look at the recommendations. The report is due on 3 December. The government's decision to rush debate now, before the committee has finished its work, is a disgrace. It's another example of this government's contempt for parliamentary process.

So much for transparency! What is Labor scared of? That is what you've got to ask yourself. Labor came into power promising integrity. They spoke of sunlight as the best disinfectant, yet under this government we've seen non-disclosure agreements, secret costings, hidden estimates manuals and, now, legislation designed to make it harder for Australians to see what their government is doing.

I've been in government for 10 years. We don't always like the scrutiny, but it's important for our democracy. This bill damages public trust. It tells citizens that the government—

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