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The following suggestions for commitments, if supported ,require refinement to ensure any commitment is specific, concrete and ambitious.We should learn from experience with the first plan that vague statements of intended outcomes  and plans to review and consult do not meet this OGP requirement.  1. Anti-corruption A national integrity commission and a suite of anti-corruption reforms not limited to those  included in the first national action plan yet to be delivered. The Deputy CEO of the OGP Support Unit Joe Powell urges countries preparing a plan this year to include anti corruption measures. https://voices.transparency.or g/2018s-corruption-focused-sum mits-must-turn-promises-into- action-358fa5d35505 2. Integrity Address gaps and weaknesses in lobbying and political donations regulation. Measures to include a comprehensive scheme for registration of lobbyists, periodic reporting of lobbying activity. Join Parliament in the open government initiative with a commit...

T he following observations, comments and suggestions are put forward for consideration as plans for the OGP national action plan are developed. Some raise administrative and policy issues that are unlikely to result in commitments in the plan but nevertheless are relevant to our open government ambitions. 1.Uncertainty about where things stand The lack of information about where things stand and the likely outcomes by July 2018 limits discussion of possible commitments for the next plan. A number of  commitments are tagged 'Delayed.' With these commitments and others currently described as 'On track' it is not clear where we are, where we are going and where if anywhere we should aim for next . Current reporting on Commitments 3.1 Information Access (AGD) and 4.3 Open Contracting (Finance) for example provides no indication of what is under consideration by the government. The lack of information hampers discussion about the next phase. 2. Moving toward the open govern...

I've lodged three comments/submissions about the current consulation by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on possible commitments for the second OGP National Action Plan. On meetings in Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane that concluded on 23 March "Based on the Sydney meet that I attended and feedback from Canberra and Melbourne, the round of consultations was disappointing to put it mildly. Attendances were low. The lack of awareness of the OGP initiative continues. Beyond utilisation of social media, were steps taken to identify civil society organisations that would seem to have an interest in these issues? Did any agency other than PMC refer to the consultation on their website or contact organisations they deal with to encourage engagement? The absence of indications from government of serious intent is a factor in the low level of engagement. When has the PM followed up his words of November 2015 with anything that resembles strong ongoing enthusias...

The heading on this December 2015 post reflected my views on a column by Jack Waterford in The Canberra Times FOI veteran lets fly with a few wild swings and low blows in which he delivered an assessment of the contributions to open government by former Australian Information Commissioner Professor John McMillan. In my view both unfair and unjustified. Professor Mcmillan subsequently took legal action against Fairfax Media, publishers of the CT. The following statement was appended to the online version of the article and published in the 11 November edition: Professor John McMillan In legal proceedings brought over this article, Professor John McMillan alleged that it constituted an attack on his personal integrity, performance and competence in his roles as former Commonwealth Ombudsman and Australian Information Commissioner. If any reader understood it that way, The Canberra Times unreservedly withdraws any such suggestion and sincerely apologises to Professor McMillan for any hurt...

All about events for Right to Know Day Thursday 28 September. In particular: The Office of the Information Commissioner, Queensland is holding the annual Solomon Lecture for Right to Know Day on 28 September 2017. Mr Kerry O’Brien, one of Australia’s most distinguished and respected journalists, will deliver this year’s lecture and draw on the 30th anniversary of the Fitzgerald Inquiry in Queensland as an opportunity to revisit some of the lessons learnt over the past three decades around open government, including the media’s role. Following the Lecture will be a panel discussion featuring Channel 7’s Freedom of Information Editor, Alison Sandy, Queensland University of Technology Vice Chancellor Peter Coaldrake AO and Dr David Solomon AM. Journalist Madonna King will lead the panel discussion. Live stream: www.ustream.tv/channel/the-edge-external-events 28 September 2017 We encourage all Australians to explore their Right to Know. Take a moment to discover the impor...

Whose interests? Why defining the 'public interest' is such a challenge What may be deemed in the public interest today may not be so in a decade’s time. shutterstock Jane Johnston , The University of Queensland The “public interest” is a political concept that’s regularly trotted out along with other democratic principles such as transparency and accountability. And, like transparency and accountability, it’s difficult to pin down exactly what it means. Former NSW Ombudsman Chris Wheeler has pointed out: … while it is one of the most used terms in the lexicon of public administration, it is arguably the least defined and least understood … identifying or determining the appropriate public interest in any particular case is often no easy task. Centuries of scholarship examine the public interest alongside the “common good”, “common interest”, and “public good”, associated with some big names in political philosophy. Common among their thinking was the idea that governme...

Published today on the AUSLAW BLOG: 11/07/2017   /   AUSPUBLAW   /   0 COMMENTS BY   PETER TIMMINS The voters aren’t happy. While there is no single antidote for this winter of discontent, the way government governs is a contributing factor. The government tells us that belief in democracy is a shared Australian value and as part of a new approach to citizenship for those who seek to join us, that newcomers will be tested to demonstrate their commitment. Yet forty per cent of Australians   are not satisfied   with the way democracy is working. Only five per cent trust government. And   the majority of Australians   think their politicians are corrupt. Calls for reform   propose steps to make decision-making more transparent and politicians more accountable for their actions; for politicians to get serious about cleaning up public life; and for more collaboration between government and citizens in policymaking, regulation and operational ...