AFP boss promise comes true over operation transparency

Just days after pledging a new era in transparency and ending red tape new Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has proven true to his word.

Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw has made good on a promise made just three days ago for a new era of openness over public-interest information.

Earlier this week Mr Kershaw met with News Corp Australia to discuss among other things his vision for the force including a 100-day restructuring that would remove the onerous costly red tape imposts to information.

And within a day of his pledge, a Freedom of Information application for details surrounding an AFP administrative operation that had been mired in delays and ultimate rejection on the basis of it being too hard to put together was suddenly accepted to be processed.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton and newly appointed Australian Federal Police AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra in July. Picture: AAP

The AFP’s apparent step-up on public interest information was welcomed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), an independent agency within the Federal Government’s Attorneys-General tasked with ensuring freedom of information.

“Commissioner Kershaw’s comments on taking a proactive approach to the release of information are welcome,” Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk said yesterday.

“Under the Freedom of Information Act, every person has a right to access a document of an agency or an official document of a minister, and to receive it unless the document is exempt. Encouraging proactive publication is a key strategic priority for the OAIC. We believe the system will work more effectively for the community by publishing more information proactively, particularly information that’s frequently requested.”

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw and his Chief Operating Officer Sue Bird appearing before a Senate Estimates hearing at Parliament House in Canberra last week. Picture: AAP

The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office agreed.

“Whilst we don’t have specific comment on the commissioner’s action, in general terms we welcome his indication of the important role of oversight agencies in holding the AFP to account,” a spokeswoman said.

Mr Kershaw’s commitment to unravel the often costly, time consuming bureaucratic process surrounding FoIs in this country, came after an unprecedented campaign by media companies to change or reform laws that affect the public’s right to know.

The commissioner was questioned on his thoughts about the campaign in his first question at his first Senate estimates parliamentary hearing last week.

Australia’s Your Right To Know campaign logo.

He flagged then he wanted to meet with media groups to understand their concerns better.

Among the media’s so-called Australia’s Right to Know coalition demands, are reforms to the Public Interest Disclosures Act to afford public servants greater protections, including expanding the public’s interest test that currently holds bias against external disclosure, a presumption of criminal liability against media for using the information and the government’s ability to identify sources via journalists’ communications and metadata.

The campaign came after raids on journalists from News Corp Australia and the ABC over reports they made based on leaked documents.

Originally published as AFP boss promise comes true over operation transparency