Acting ACT Ombudsman Penny McKay has joined forces with other Australian information Commissioners and Ombudsmen to promote the proactive release of information by Government Agencies.
The Ombudsmen and Commissioners signed a joint authoritative statement on the implementation of their Open by Design Principles ahead of this week’s International Access to Information Day (28 September).
In signing the statement, Ms McKay said the Principles should be used by Government Agencies to encourage and authorise the proactive release of information and promote open Government.
“Citizens throughout Australia experience inconsistent levels of access to valuable and important information from Government,” Ms McKay said.
“This is particularly evident in the differences in proactive release of information between jurisdictions,” she said.
“The proactive disclosure of Government-held information promotes open Government and advances our system of representative democracy.”
Ms McKay said the Principles were intended to advance integrity in Government and provide ready access to information that was important to citizens and the digital economy.
She said the Principles recognised that information held by Government and public institutions was a public resource and that a culture of transparency within Government was everyone’s responsibility.
She said the appropriate, prompt and proactive disclosure of Government-held information informed community; increased participation and enhanced decision-making; built trust and confidence; improved service delivery; was required or permitted by law; and improved efficiency.
“All Australian Governments – Commonwealth, State and Territory, and local – and public institutions are strongly encouraged to commit to being Open by Design by building a culture of transparency and by prioritising, promoting and resourcing proactive disclosure,” she said.
In the joint statement, Ms McKay recommended ways for public sector Agencies to embed a proactive disclosure culture; implement a best practice Open by Design approach to proactive disclosure; engage with the community in relation to the information that was of most value and interest to them; and adopt a customer service approach to the proactive disclosure of information.
The joint statement was also signed by Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk; New South Wales Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd; Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel; Queensland Information Commissioner Rachael Rangihaeata; Western Australian Information Commissioner Catherine Fletcher; South Australian Ombudsman Wayne Lines; Tasmanian Ombudsman Richard Connock; and Northern Territory Information Commissioner Peter Shoyer.
The Information Commissioners and Ombudsmen’s three-page joint statement can be accessed at this PS News link and their Open by Design Principles at this link.
