Open Government Forum to be held next month

Queenslanders will have the chance to help craft a new integrity system for the State as the Newman Government takes the next step in making its government the most open and transparent in the nation.

Premier Campbell Newman today announced an Open Government Policy Forum would be held next month, to be chaired by Queensland University of Technology Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake.  

Mr Newman said the forum would spark ideas about simplifying Queensland’s integrity system while maintaining real accountability.

“We’ve decided to hold the forum because of concerns raised in the independent Review of the CMC Act and Related Matters, which found the three fundamental and very simple elements of honesty, fairness and openness were lost in an overly complicated system,” Mr Newman said.

“It’s pretty clear there is something wrong with the state’s integrity framework when most people, including a High Court Judge and a leading Professor of constitutional law and governance, think it is overly-complicated and confusing,

“We want to make government processes clear, straightforward and accountable and we want to know about any gaps in our integrity and accountability framework.

“We are already giving people regular progress reports on our plans, making government data publicly available online, releasing Minister’s diaries on a monthly basis and once again, we’ve made lying to the Parliament illegal.

“Our reforms have made the Queensland Government the most transparent, open and accountable in the state’s history – but we want to make it even better. 

“This forum is the next step we’ll take in making that happen, and we will be seeking the views of advocacy organisations, the private and non-government sector, opinion leaders and academics.”

Mr Newman said a series of discussion papers about Open Government, including a history of Queensland’s integrity institutions, would also be released in the lead-up to the forum. 

[ENDS] 16 July 2013

Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500