Freedom of Information - Independent review of FOI

On Tuesday 10 June 2008, the Panel Chair, Dr David Solomon AM, delivered the report (PDF, 5.15mb), The Right to Information, to the Honourable Anna Bligh MP, Premier of Queensland and the Honourable Kerry Shine MP, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland.

The report (PDF, 5.15mb)

On 17 September 2007, the Queensland Government appointed an independent expert panel to undertake a comprehensive review of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (FOI Act) with broad-ranging Terms of Reference (PDF, 19kb). The FOI Independent Review Panel was asked to prepare a discussion paper, for community consultation, and then a report with its recommendations.

The Panel undertook an extensive literature search and consulted a large number of experts, practitioners and FOI users in preparing the discussion paper. On 30 January 2008, the discussion paper (PDF, 1.52mb), Enhancing Open and Accountable Government, was released for public consultation.

Almost 600 copies of the discussion paper were circulated to agencies, interested parties and members of the public and it was also made available through the internet. More than 60 organisations, including the Queensland Government, and individuals made submissions in response to the paper, many of them providing extensive and detailed answers to the questions posed in the paper, and offering advice and information.

All of the submissions were closely studied by the Panel in preparing this report. In addition as part of its preparation of the report, the Panel continued its consultative process and its review of the literature and of developments in other jurisdictions. It also analysed the responses it received from agencies to the surveys it conducted in 2007 and various agency responses to questions on particular issues raised in correspondence throughout the review period.

Members of the Panel also benefited from attending an “International Summit on Open Access to Public Sector Information” conference (held in Brisbane on 4 March 2008), that featured a number of prominent international experts.

If you have an enquiry, please contact the FOI Review Secretariat on 3222 2309.

Last updated June 10, 2008