General Press Release No. 226 (January 1999)

Freedom of Information

The Australian Press Council today expressed its concern at the suggestion from the Premier of Victoria that the Freedom of Information Act may be repealed.

The Council said that the Freedom of Information Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation protecting the public interest.

Freedom of Information legislation provides the only means by which citizens can gain access to government information affecting them personally or as citizens of the State.

It is only through use of the Freedom of Information Act that persons can discover what information relating to them is held by the government. The Act also provides the only means available to a person to correct errors in that information.

The press too makes significant use of the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to a range of government documents. Without the ability to obtain this information, the press would not be able to keep the public informed about the actions of the government.

Government information should be made more freely available in society, particularly in matters relating to the way government conducts itself. The public has a right to know how it is being governed. It should be able to gain access to the information that it wants and not be limited to what government hands out. Without guaranteed access to information this is not possible.

Freedom of Information allows citizens to dictate the agenda. One unfortunate case should not be allowed to deflect attention from the essential public interest served by a Freedom of Information Act.

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