Govnt slammed for ‘inconsistent’ plan to keep Olympic docs secret

The Palaszczuk Government has failed to give a valid reason why documents held by Brisbane’s powerful Olympics committee should be kept secret.

The Palaszczuk Government has failed to give a valid reason why documents held by Brisbane’s powerful Olympics committee should be kept secret, according to the agency in charge of ensuring the government’s accountability and transparency.

Information Commissioner Rachael Rangihaeata has hit out at the proposed legislation that would allow the committee to be exempt from parts of the state’s Right to Information Act, saying the move was “inconsistent” with the historic Solomon Review, which Labor initiated more than a decade ago.

“It is critical that individual legislative proposals are considered in the context of the broader policy and departures from such are clearly justified,” she wrote.

“In this case the explanatory notes (for the Bill) do not provide a compelling case to justify an exclusion from the operation of the RTI Act contrary to recent policy expressed by the Attorney-General’s Review Report.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks at a press conference at the MPC at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after she succesfully bid to hold the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. Picture: Adam Head

Under the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics Arrangements Bill, which was introduced last month, documents considered to be “of a confidential nature that was communicated in confidence” from the Australian and International Olympic Committees could not be accessed via RTI application.

In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry tasked with assessing the Bill, Ms Rangihaeata referred to a report tabled by the Attorney-General in 2017 which recommended nothing else should be exempt or excluded from the Act.

She also cited the 2008 Solomon Report, which former Anna Bligh asked for, which recommended an overhaul of the state’s RTI laws including limiting exclusions.

The Bligh Government accepted all bar two of the 141 recommendations from the review.

The Palaszczuk Government noted in its explanatory notes last month that a similar provision was included in the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Act 1993.

But Ms Rangihaeata wrote that was introduced almost 30 years ago and that the Bill must reflect and be consistent with contemporary RTI laws.

“Exclusions are used sparingly in the RTI Act given the impact of such a provision and as stated in the Review Report, the RTI Act has a sufficient legislative framework to protect sensitive documents, including commercial-in-confidence information,” she wrote.

“The proposed amendments are inconsistent with the comprehensive Review Report tabled by the Attorney-General in October 2017 and the Solomon Report.”

A government spokesman said the Bill was before the committee.

“The government will consider any recommendations of the committee,” he said.

Opposition spokeswoman Fiona Simpson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Opposition integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson accused the government of running from being open and transparent.

“The independent office bearers who are charged with upholding the legislation and principles of people’s right to know have raised concerns about this Bill,” she said.

“All aspects of Queensland preparing for the Games should be scrutinised.”