Paul Farrell theguardian.com, Monday 12 May 2014
Labor's Joe Ludwig labels reported plans to break up Office of the Australian Information Commissioner extremely concerning
Joe Ludwig: handing freedom of information to the attorney general 'would be like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank'. Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP Image
Splitting Australia’s freedom of information and privacy watchdogs as part of cost-saving measures in Tuesday’s budget would shut the door on open government, according to the Labor senator Joe Ludwig.
ABC AM has reported that the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, which oversees privacy and freedom of information investigations and reviews in Australia, will have its functions split across several other departments.
Ludwig said reports the commissioner could be handed to the Attorney General’s Department were extremely concerning. The OAIC operates at arms length from the government and is often called on to review government decisions.
“Handing over freedom of information to the attorney general would signal the death knell of open and accountable government,” Ludwig said.
“This would be like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank,” Ludwig said.
The agency was created as part of the former Labor government’s freedom of information reforms in 2009 to be an “information champion” that would promote open government and to protect Australians’ personal information.
The commissioner’s office is now investigating a massive data breach that led to the personal details of almost 10,000 people in detention being released on to the Department of Immigration website.
“This government is one of the most secretive and hidden governments in memory. Labor established the information commissioner and stronger freedom of information laws to open up government and increase public accountability,” Ludwig said.
“The reports today, if true, would shut the door on open government.”
The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, said the federal government would make significant savings by merging a range of government agencies.
"This is not a matter of targeting one area of government more than another," he said.
"We are very systematic and very methodical in going right across government."
Other organisations to be merged include the administrative appeals tribunal, classification review board, the migration review tribunal and refugee review tribunal.
Parts of the National Archives, Film and Sound Archive, National Gallery, National Library and National Museum and National Portrait gallery will also be merged.
Budget 2014: splitting watchdogs 'would shut door on open government' | World news | theguardian.com
