Law change a victory for transparency

Cabinet documents will be released within 30 days from the first half of 2024, with parliament progressing changes linked to the major reform this week.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Question Time on Thursday. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

Cabinet documents will be released within 30 days from the first half of 2024, with parliament progressing changes linked to the major reform this week.

While the 30-day release of Cabinet documents can be done through an amendment to the Cabinet handbook, parliament will this week debate associated changes that would ensure ministers are protected from civil proceedings and technical changes to the Right to Information Act to allow the redaction of documents.

Releasing Cabinet documents within 30 days was the most significant recommendation from Peter Coaldrake’s 2022 integrity review, which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk committed to introduce “lock, stock and barrel”.

A committee considering the Bill has recommended the changes be passed before Attorney General Yvette D’Ath on Tuesday pushed it through parliament.

“The proactive release scheme, as recommended by the Coaldrake Report, will be an administrative scheme implemented via amendment to the Cabinet Handbook,” the Bill noted.

“While legislation is not required to enable the scheme, a small number of amendments are included in the Bill to support the simple operation of a proactive release scheme.”

As part of the proactive Cabinet document release scheme, ministers will be granted immunity from civil liability arising from the disclosure of information “where they have acted in good faith”.

Any civil liability would instead be attached to the state.

The 2023-24 state budget included $10.13m over four years for the proactive release scheme.

Funding included $6m for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to co-ordinate the scheme and develop ICT systems, and the creation of seven additional positions to support the proactive release scheme.

It also includes $4m over four years for the Department of Justice and Attorney‐General to implement the proactive release scheme.