Thursday, 20 November 2025

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (14:30): I have a question for the Attorney-General. In 2023 the government asked the Integrity and Oversight Committee to inquire into Victoria’s 43-year-old Freedom of Information Act. The IOC reported in September last year that there were problems with delays, complexity, fees and a culture of redaction and refusal and unanimously recommended a new right-to-information act, emphasising proactive release of information, fewer exemptions and no application fees. In March this year the government responded, without committing to implementing any of the recommendations, that it was taking the time to consider the report in detail. So the question is: has the government decided to take any action in response to the report?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:31): I thank the member for the question. Can I also put on the record my acknowledgement of and gratitude to the member in his role as chair of the Integrity and Oversight Committee. I acknowledge the work of the IOC over more than, I think it was, about 15 months to conduct a review into Victoria’s freedom-of-information laws. I acknowledge that a very considered and detailed report was tabled in this place last year, and the government responded to that report earlier this year. From memory, the report proposed some fairly fundamental and significant changes to FOI laws here in Victoria, and there were at least 100 recommendations in that report. Again, I want to acknowledge the really significant work that was undertaken by the committee and the detailed and considered recommendations and findings in that report. I can say to the member that the government is certainly now considering those findings and those 101 recommendations and will consider those in detail, given the fundamental and significant reforms and changes that they propose to our FOI laws. We will have more to say when they are ready.

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (14:32): We have had now half a dozen inquiries into the operation of the FOI act this century. The Ombudsman inquired into the act in 2006 and 2011, the Auditor-General held inquiries in 2012 and 2015, the Victorian information commissioner held one in 2021 and now we have had the IOC’s inquiry in 2023–24. Hopefully we do not need a seventh inquiry. I guess the supplementary question then is: does the government at least agree that reform is needed?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:33): Again, I refer back to my answer to the substantive question, and that is that we acknowledge the report. The government responded earlier this year and will now take the time to consider in detail all of those findings, all of those 101 recommendations, and that work is underway. I also acknowledge that there have been some significant changes to FOI laws here in Victoria, including in 2017, when we established the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, also of course recognising that it was Victoria under John Cain that introduced first in the nation FOI laws, recognising the importance of freedom of information. It is important for transparency and accountability and ensuring that Victorians are informed and can have informed debate on decisions that impact them.