When I worked in journalism, Freedom of Information was jokingly referred to as Freedom from Information. The process of applying to the relevant government department, paying your monies and inevitably being denied information again and again was left to the most persistent and hard-headed of reporters.
The FOI legislation was amended in May 2010, and it’s likely that the reforms will allow for greater transparency in government. The shift is from information being available on request, to information being available full stop. This can only be a benefit for the public, to see the inner workings of government and how their tax dollars are being spent.
The recent data release from Wikileaks has shown that there are some benefits in casting light upon the dark places within our paid representation.
And the best part? FOI in Australia is now (nearly) free. The Government has abolished the application fee and review fee, and the first five hours’ of work to obtain the information will be free.
It is likely to mean average Joe Blow will be able to access information now, rather than leaving it to the big media companies, which is a big thumbs up in terms of citizen journalism.
