Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians rightly expect their governments to operate openly and transparently, so you can understand the community's frustration with this Labor government, which the Centre for Public Integrity recently assessed as failing on five of six integrity indicators and which they described as 'leaning into a culture of secrecy'. That's a very good description, because we haven't so much seen, simply, a brazen attempt to wind back transparency in one go; instead, we've seen a much more insidious pattern than that. Indeed, we've seen a combination of inertia on critical reforms, a fear of upsetting vested interests and a fetishisation of secrecy, driven in part, I would suggest, by hubris on the part of the re-elected Labor government.

But sunlight is the best disinfectant, and that's why we need increased transparency around ministerial diaries and past sponsorships, why FOIs should be made easier, not harder, and why we need to finally progress meaningful reforms to whistleblower protections, political donations and jobs-for-mates appointments. While we're at it, media freedom laws wouldn't go astray either. Any government serious about doing its job well should embrace transparency, not fear it, because transparency builds public trust, keep decision-makers honest and helps prevent the sorts of blunders, cover-ups and groupthink that often end up costing us all.