Government Already Considering FOI Changes: Shine
Published Tuesday, 06 November, 2007 at 02:57 PM
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
The Honourable Kerry Shine
The Bligh Government is already addressing some of the concerns raised in a report on freedom of speech through its overhaul of Queensland’s Freedom of Information laws, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine said today.
“The Premier announced in September that she wanted to provide the public with greater accessibility to information and better transparency through an independent review of FOI laws,” Mr Shine said.
“The review will assess whether the current laws are working effectively and what improvements can be made.”
Mr Shine said rapid advances in information and communication technologies have led to the creation of millions of government documents each year.
“This can lead to lengthy timeframes and high charges to search and examine documents for FOI applications.”
“The review’s terms of reference include the time and cost of providing access to government documents, and the appropriateness of the fees and times that apply.”
Mr Shine said he’s pleased to see that Queensland courts are issuing fewer suppression orders than in other states.
“Queensland only has six suppression orders compared to nearly 700 in Victoria and more than 100 in New South Wales,” he said.
“In fact Queensland has the lowest number of court suppression orders than any other mainland state.
“This means the media and the general public has greater access to court proceedings which provides a transparent court process.
“This is vital in maintaining the public’s confidence in our court system and ensuring that access to important court proceedings is open.
“We are committed to providing and open system of government and we are determined to ensure that there is adequate access to public information,” Mr Shine said.
Media Contact: Troy Davies 3239 6400, 0488 799 273
“The Premier announced in September that she wanted to provide the public with greater accessibility to information and better transparency through an independent review of FOI laws,” Mr Shine said.
“The review will assess whether the current laws are working effectively and what improvements can be made.”
Mr Shine said rapid advances in information and communication technologies have led to the creation of millions of government documents each year.
“This can lead to lengthy timeframes and high charges to search and examine documents for FOI applications.”
“The review’s terms of reference include the time and cost of providing access to government documents, and the appropriateness of the fees and times that apply.”
Mr Shine said he’s pleased to see that Queensland courts are issuing fewer suppression orders than in other states.
“Queensland only has six suppression orders compared to nearly 700 in Victoria and more than 100 in New South Wales,” he said.
“In fact Queensland has the lowest number of court suppression orders than any other mainland state.
“This means the media and the general public has greater access to court proceedings which provides a transparent court process.
“This is vital in maintaining the public’s confidence in our court system and ensuring that access to important court proceedings is open.
“We are committed to providing and open system of government and we are determined to ensure that there is adequate access to public information,” Mr Shine said.
Media Contact: Troy Davies 3239 6400, 0488 799 273