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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 3h

And when the Govt talks about the growing admin costs and over a million hours spent on FOI, they don't make this distinction.

There is an easy way to reduce the number of requests about how govt operates -- proactive disclosure. We've seen at Estimates that Depts don't even think about this.

Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 3h

Hi @atypicalhippy.bsky.social,

It's an interesting distinction. I'd love if Govt split the data that way so we could see whether that has an effect.

But Govt's main e.g. of an agency apparently inundated is the eSafety Commission, which overwhelmingly received own-data requests (~90% vs ~70%).

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 3h

The Australian Public Service Commissioner confirms what many suspected:

Public servants are avoiding putting things in writing to escape public scrutiny.

But what is the Govt doing about it?

Trying to change FOI law to make secrecy even easier.
live.australiainstitute.org.au/2025/10/aust...

Australia Institute Live — Daily Updates

Stay updated with the latest from The Australia Institute.

live.australiainstitute.org.au

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Reposted by Bill Browne

stranger @strangerous.bsky.social · 1d

David Pocock asks Don Farrell some serious questions about why the govt has not implemented an important recommendation from the #RobodebtRC.
Farrell caught playing on his phone, not even paying attention.🙄 Pocock hasn’t the patience to try again & moves on. #Estimates

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Reposted by Bill Browne

Crikey @crikey.com.au · 1d

Independent Senator David Pocock and Labor's Penny Wong clashed in Senate estimates yesterday over whether the Parliamentary Sports Club could be considered a lobby group, as reported in Crikey last week. The club is registered as such, and lists Responsible Wagering Australia as one of its clients.

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Reposted by Bill Browne

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 1d

"The Attorney-General’s Department was unable to present evidence of the malicious and automated FOI requests alleged by the government."

Great article from @dholmesnoise.bsky.social in @themandarin.bsky.social today, covering the latest.

Estimates find no evidence of automated FOI applications

The Attorney-General's Department was unable to present evidence of the malicious and automated FOI requests alleged by the government.

www.themandarin.com.au

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Reposted by Bill Browne

The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 1d

Exclusive: Anthony Albanese killed the push for open corruption hearings, citing reputational damage to those called to give evidence. satpa.pe/MznMsNN

Exclusive: Anthony Albanese overruled push for public NACC hearings

The Saturday Paper can reveal that the prime minister and other ministers from NSW intervened in cabinet to constrain the operations of the country’s leading integrity body.

satpa.pe

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 1d

“Is that how you used it? To work out what not to do?” Greens and Liberals critical of Government changes to FOI

Over on @australiainstitute.org.au live blog live.australiainstitute.org.au/2025/10/aust...

Australia Institute Live: Senate estimates continues, Opposition still struggling for relevancy. All the day's events, live

Senate estimate hearings continue, but the government is so far largely unbothered by the line of questioning the opposition has put forward. After a 'tense' joint party meeting, the Coalition is att...

live.australiainstitute.org.au

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Reposted by Bill Browne

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 2d

Proposed changes to Australia’s FOI laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, our new research shows.

The PM described Robodebt as a “gross betrayal and human tragedy”, yet his government plans to make cabinet documents harder to access. #auspol

Government’s FOI changes could cover up the next Robodebt - new research

Proposed changes to Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, according to new research by The Australia Insti...

australiainstitute.org.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 2d

The proposed $50 fee per FOI request will make it harder to get information out of government, but do practically nothing to reduce the overall cost of the scheme.

Cost recovery (assuming $50 fee) would raise less than $500,000, against a scheme that cost $86 million last year.

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 2d

It takes four public servants to do what took just one under the Howard Government.

That explains why administrative costs have more than tripled.

Whereas the average request once took 13 hours to determine (2006-07), it now takes 51 hours (2023-24).

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 2d

The Freedom of Information system is so inefficient and expensive *because* it's secretive

-- in last year of Howard Govt, there were 27,500 FOI requests granted in full, vs just 4,500 granted in full in 2023-24.

The number of FOI requests granted “in full” has fallen from
81% in 2006-07 to just 21% in 2023-24.

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 2d

Albanese Govt plans to make cabinet docs harder to access, in defiance of Robodebt Royal Commission – which recommended making cabinet docs available for public scrutiny.

More in @australiainstitute.org.au report with @skyelark.bsky.social australiainstitute.org.au/report/the-p...

The Price of Freedom

The Albanese government is lagging on transparency: Only 21% of 2023-24 FOI requests were granted in full compared to 81% in 2006-07. Whereas the

australiainstitute.org.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 2d

Govt fearmongering about AI writing Freedom of Information requests, vexatious applicants and a swamped eSafety Commission is overstated.

The FOI workload is actually at a low point for the decade.

There were only 21,000 requests determined in each of 2022-23 and 2023-24,13 down about a third from the 10-year peak of 34,000 in 2016-17.

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 8d

Read @australiainstitute.org.au submission on our website australiainstitute.org.au/report/submi...

Submission to 2024 ACT election inquiry

The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Standing Committee on the Integrity Commission and Statutory Office Holders’ Inquiry into the operation of the 2024 ACT Ele...

australiainstitute.org.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 8d

The ACT spends millions of dollars funding political parties and candidates, but the money comes at the wrong time -- after the election is already over.

Democracy vouchers work in the City of Seattle to get parties and candidates engaging with voters.

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/906493...

Could borrowing an idea from Seattle help bolster ACT elections?

Democracy vouchers are worth a look in the capital, a think tank says.

www.canberratimes.com.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 9d

Liberal Party concerns about an increase in the number of politicians can be easily addressed -- as Ben Raue does in this excellent post.

The main beneficiaries of an increase would be voters and Australian democracy.

Ben Raue @benraue.com · 10d

In response to an error-riddled op-ed from George Brandis yesterday, I’ve written a post about who would benefit from an expanded parliament. www.tallyroom.com.au/62130

Who would benefit from an expanded parliament?

Today’s blog post is inspired by a strange opinion piece in the Nine papers yesterday by former federal Liberal Attorney-General George Brandis. Brandis’ piece (in addition to incorrect…

www.tallyroom.com.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 9d

In 2018, @australiainstitute.org.au research showed the scheme was discriminatory, expensive, got very poor results, and "disciplined" vulnerable people by taking money away.

Work for the Dole has not been done well, but this was particularly cruel.

australiainstitute.org.au/report/remot...

Remote control: The Community Development Program, remote Australia’s Work for the Dole scheme

The Community Development Program (CDP) is remote Australia’s Work for the Dole (WFD) and “job assistance” scheme. In place since 2015, it operates across

australiainstitute.org.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 9d

"You were about 27 times more likely to receive a fine if you're an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person on the Community Development Program … than if you lived in a city".

Maurice Blackburn filing a class action against discriminatory program. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Class action against Work for the Dole alleges racial discrimination

A class action on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people alleges a Commonwealth Work for the Dole scheme was tougher on remote participants than on jobseekers in cities.

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Bill Browne

Nick Feik @nickfeik.bsky.social · 13d

Good to see that Centrelink and the govt learnt their lessons from robodebt

More than 300,000 Australians had Centrelink payments cancelled illegally, new analysis shows

Peak body for community legal centres finds number of payments suspended due to IT glitch higher than department initially identified

www.theguardian.com

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 14d

And from @australiainstitute.org.au's @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social -- Tas MP salaries by the numbers australiainstitute.org.au/post/tasmani...

Tasmanian MPs rate of pay

Tasmanian MPs have not had a pay increase since 2018.

australiainstitute.org.au

Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 14d

The Aus Institute's @richarddenniss.bsky.social talked to Leon Compton about this issue last year -- noting that Tas MPs still well paid by Australian standards.

"There's no magic formula" to decide MP pay, but without indexation it gets arbitrarily smaller over time. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Should Tasmanian politicians get a pay rise? - ABC listen

They haven't had one since 2018.

www.abc.net.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 14d

Tasmanian parliamentarians salaries are catching up with inflation after a seven year freeze -- as set by the independent umpire.

It's not fair for anyone to have their pay frozen for seven years. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Tasmanian MPs to receive $30,000 pay rise after upper house tussle

Tasmanian politicians will receive a 22 per cent pay rise despite the government's attempts to block it, after upper house MPs voted to accept a determination by Tasmania's Industrial Commission.

www.abc.net.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15d

Polling research from @australiainstitute.org.au finds two in three Australians (64%) support pill testing at music festivals.

One of several progressive policies that started in Canberra but could be adopted elsewhere.
australiainstitute.org.au/post/these-n...

In 2019 the Australia Institute identified ambitious, progressive policies from the Australian Capital Territory, most of which are overwhelmingly popular among all Australians. Five years on, we have...

australiainstitute.org.au

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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15d

"I think it just goes to show the quality of what's going on here in the ACT."

Days after Qld Govt moves to statewide ban on pill testing, the ACT's service detects a dangerous synthetic drug. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Rare nitazene found in Canberra believed to be Australian-first

The capsuled white powder was presented to the pill-testing site on Friday and, when chemists there couldn't make an identification, transferred to the Australian National University for analysis.

www.abc.net.au

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