Shannon Deery: Victoria is the place to be for secrecy

With every new day in power the Victorian government becomes more and more secretive — and increasingly Utopian.

Since the Andrews government came to power in 2014, the number of Freedom of Information requests denied in full has almost doubled. Picture: Aaron Francis

It came as no surprise in the past week to learn the Andrews government was fighting to block access to documents on its $20bn-plus level-crossing removal project.

Or that it had been sitting on a report into foster carers’ pay.

It’s had that report since January last year but has refused to release its contents, citing cabinet-in-confidence.

With every new day in power our government becomes more and more secretive.

And more and more Utopian.

Not in the idealistic governance sort of way, but rather in the style of an ABC-TV show – the one that satirises the inner workings of a government public service.

Take this example.

Last month the Coroners Court of Victoria was asked to comment after details of a forthcoming finding leaked to the media.

A series of pointed questions were asked of the court after senior members of the judiciary raised concerns about the leak.

Leaks are routine aspects of the 24-hour news cycle, but from a court they are rare, if not unprecedented.

Among the questions the court was asked was whether the coroner had been involved in the leak, or if any action had been taken to detect the source.

Questions were asked, too, of State Coroner John Cain.

A dutiful court spokeswoman was – uncharacteristically – prompt to reply.

“As the matter is still before the court, it would be inappropriate to comment,” she said.

Fair enough.

Following the publication of the finding a week later, by the court this time and not the media, comment was again sought.

The response could have been scripted by satirists: “As the matter has been finalised, we will not be providing further comment”.

You couldn’t make it up. Yet this is the world of secrecy that has become the norm in Victoria.

Last month the Coroners Court of Victoria was asked to comment after details of a forthcoming finding leaked to the media. Picture: David Crosling

And while the above is just one example, it’s a serious one.

The matter has privately outraged members of the legal profession.

Nicholas Pullen, partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, said it was both irresponsible and dangerous to pre-empt judicial findings.

Specifically, it threatened confidence in the judicial system.

“There could be an attempt here to hijack public opinion before the report comes out,” he said.

“It’s not just inappropriate, it goes directly to the public’s confidence in the judicial system.”

And yet the court simply won’t answer questions about it.

Despite media and communications teams becoming bloated across the public sector, our access to information is not increasing.

It is decreasing, and we are paying for it.

Millions of dollars are spent annually across the public sector to employ people to block the release of information.

It would be easier, and cheaper, to sack them all and run automated messages saying simply: Computer says no.

As I wrote in November, since the Andrews government came to power in 2014, the number of Freedom of Information requests denied in full has almost doubled.

Government departments are denying access to a staggering 12 per cent of requests, and granting full access to fewer than one in three matters.

The most relied-on excuse is that documents are internal working documents and it would be contrary to the public interest for them to be released.

The government even uses a hired gun – legal expert Mick Batskos – to help keep information secret from Victorians.

In the same time, complaints to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner about FOIs have almost tripled.

The Andrews government is showing a real contempt for the public and for transparency. Picture: Aaron Francis

Getting answers out of the government itself is no easier, despite a massive PR arm that rivals that of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Routinely questions are simply ignored, and trite government spin sent in response.

Sometimes, questions are ignored altogether.

It shows a real contempt for the public and for transparency, and does nothing to instil confidence in governance or promote accountability.

Our right to know should never be treated as a privilege.

At the same time the government fights the release of documents, it is also resisting changes to beef up the powers of Victoria’s corruption watchdog.

Powers that the head of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has said need improving – like giving it the power to hold more public hearings.

It prompts the question: just what does the government have to hide?

The answer is probably nothing.

But it would just rather get about its business without hassle.

As the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner so clearly states: “Open and transparent government enables us to gain insight into what government is doing, why it is doing it and how. This empowers us to scrutinise government decisions and hold government to account, which is crucial to building trust.

“An informed public is also more engaged in the democratic process and can make meaningful contributions to public policy.”

Ending the secrecy that shrouds Victorian politics can only be better for all of us.

Shannon Deery is Herald Sun state politics editor