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Australia: Push to Put NBN Under FOI Law |
| Source: |
The Australian |
| Source Date: |
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 |
| Focus: |
Electronic and Mobile Government, Citizen Engagement, Internet Governance
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| Country: |
Australia |
| Created: |
Jan 24, 2011 |
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THE Coalition and the Greens are gearing up to use this year's first week of parliament to force the Gillard government to bring the National Broadband Network company under the scrutiny of Freedom of Information laws. Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam yesterday told The Australian he would be writing to the government and the opposition to seek their support to move an amendment in the Senate to change the current FOI regulations. Senator Ludlam said the $36 billion NBN Co should not be excluded from a list of prescribed government authorities that could be scrutinised under FOI. "It is a layer of scrutiny that would normally apply to a government business," he said. Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he would challenge NBN Co's FOI exemption when parliament resumed next month. "This is not only the biggest infrastructure project, it is also the most secretive and that is a disgrace," he said. Mr Turnbull said if the government did not support amending the FOI regulations to list NBN Co as an agency open to FOI laws then the FOI Act would have to be amended.
A spokeswoman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the government would not support a push to force the NBN Co under the ambit of FOI laws. "Requiring NBN Co to be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) would place NBN Co at a competitive disadvantage in relation to its network design, construction and rollout activities," the spokeswoman said. But Mr Turnbull rejected the suggestion and said it was more important that NBN Co be open to FOI scrutiny because it was "designed to have no competition".The push to ensure NBN Co falls under the powers of the FOI Act is set to receive support from Independent senator Nick Xenophon, who yesterday said the current exemption "is just not good enough"."The irony is that something that is supposed to open up communications in this country is exempt from laws which communicate its internal workings," he said. In November, Mr Turnbull introduced a motion to disallow the NBN being exempt from the scrutiny of another instrument of parliamentary oversight -- the public works committee. He said the ball was now in the government's court to "persuade the independents to vote with them on yet another measure to avoid bringing the NBN under scrutiny".
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Australia: Push to Put NBN Under FOI Law THE Coalition and the Greens are gearing up to use this year's first week of parliament to force the Gillard government to bring the National Broadband Network company under the scrutiny of Freedom of Information laws Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam yesterday told The Australian he would be writing to the government and the opposition to seek their support to move an amendment in the Senate to change the current FOI regulations Senator Ludlam said the 36 billion NBN Co should not be excluded from a list of prescribed government authorities that could be scrutinised under FOI It is a layer of scrutiny that would normally apply to a government business he said Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he would challenge NBN Co's FOI exemption when parliament resumed next month This is not only the biggest infrastructure project it is also the most secretive and that is a disgrace he said Mr Turnbull said if the government did not support amending the FOI regulations to list NBN Co as an agency open
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