The Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet is grappling with a surge in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, resulting in significant delays. As of May 30, the department was addressing 66 FOI applications, nearly twice the average number. The WA Information Commissioner, Catherine Fletcher, expressed concerns over increasing FOI delays and called for a change in legislation. She urged the adoption of the “push” model where agencies proactively disclose government information, relegating access requests as a secondary measure. Han Aulby, executive director of the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, highlighted that these delays are widespread, both at the state and federal levels. The Centre has previously published a report on freedom of information delays at the federal level, stressing the need for greater transparency and integrity in Australia’s governance.
This is a summary of an ABC News article written by Alicia Bridges and can be found here.