Government signals openness to reform laws for better press freedoms and public information
The Federal Government has indicated it is open to law reforms for greater press freedoms, whistleblower protections and the public’s right to know.
National
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Law reform changes could be made by the Federal Government to improve the public’s right to know and afford media and whistleblowers greater protections.
A coalition of media bosses met on Wednesday with Attorney-General Christian Porter and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to discuss the parliamentary inquiry due to report findings in a fortnight.
The inquiry is reviewing the impact national security laws have on press freedoms and public transparency and came in the wake of raids on the Canberra home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the Sydney headquarters of the ABC.
Both had published reports based on classified material involving plans for new laws to spy on Australians and alleged executions by the ADF in Afghanistan.
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said the meeting was “constructive” and he was pleased to hear the government was now open to making changes based on the review’s recommendations.
Just what those changes were and how far they will go remain unknown.
“I think they are open to all recommendations that will come out of that report, they weren’t able to go into those details today,” Mr Miller said.
Among things discussed were freedom of information laws including exemptions on journalist effectively threatened with jail for publishing stories and the right to contest the application for police warrants prior to them being enacted.
Also in the meeting were executives from the ABC including managing director David Anderson and news director Gavin Morris and Nine’s CEO Hugh Marks. The media last month launched an unprecedented joint campaign to press for change under the banner Australia’s Right To Know coalition.
“They definitely noticed it, they referenced that,” Mr Miller said of the government’s response to the campaign. “This isn’t just about laws and journalists, it’s about transparency, its about the (public’s) right to know and a suspicion and desire to have an open government.”
Mr Marks said: “I think the most positive thing to come out of today was the commitment to that very early meeting post the release of the report.
“That is when a lot of this detail will be discussed … on all the recommendations discussed there’s clearly recognition that change is needed.”
Mr Porter agreed the meeting with media bosses was “constructive”.
“The meeting agreed that we would continue our discussions and another meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks, following the release of the PJCIS so that we can discuss the specific recommendations of the Committee and several matters were the subject of significant
clarification at the meeting.”
Originally published as Government signals openness to reform laws for better press freedoms and public information