The front page article by Linton Besser in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald "The $1b toll bribe that bought Labor votes" may have caused the reader to gag on the cornflakes when reading details from cabinet documents dated 1996 released under the Freedom of Information Act. It's not widely known that the exemption for cabinet documents in the NSW Act (Clause 1, Schedule 1) cannot be used to refuse access to a document 10 years after it came into existence. Other exemption clauses may still be relevant, but apparently not in this case.
This blog takes an interest in issues associated with Freedom of Information (FOI) and privacy legislation in Australia. Information contained on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Follow Peter Timmins on Twitter: @foiguru Follow the open government cause through the Australian Open Government Partnership Network. www.opengovernment.org.au and @opengovau
Thursday, June 26, 2008
12 year old cabinet documents still make a front page story
The front page article by Linton Besser in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald "The $1b toll bribe that bought Labor votes" may have caused the reader to gag on the cornflakes when reading details from cabinet documents dated 1996 released under the Freedom of Information Act. It's not widely known that the exemption for cabinet documents in the NSW Act (Clause 1, Schedule 1) cannot be used to refuse access to a document 10 years after it came into existence. Other exemption clauses may still be relevant, but apparently not in this case.
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