Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Until only a couple of hours ago, the bill's requirement for verified identity under schedule 2, part 5, division I, would have effectively banned anonymous FOI requests. The Human Rights Law Centre warned that this would deter whistleblowers and vulnerable individuals from seeking accountability. My question to the minister is this: why did the minister believe that banning anonymity was in any way acceptable, and why did it take her until this very, very late stage to see that such a proposal was antithetical to the concepts of FOI? Does the minister now accept that banning anonymous FOI requests would have deterred whistleblowers and vulnerable individuals from seeking accountability?

This change would have threatened to silence those who rely on anonymity to expose wrongdoing. Why did it take the Attorney so long to acknowledge that all Australians should have the right to seek information without fear of recriminations? What evidence supported the claim that anonymous or pseudonymous requests are predominantly vexatious or abusive?

See this speech in context