FoI Act demands putting accountability in writing

APS commissioner Gordon de Brouwer included some surprising comments when speaking at The Mandarin’s ‘Rebuilding Trust and Integrity in the APS’ conference last week.

His call for a debate about the effectiveness of the freedom of information (FoI) laws and whether the way they have been operating is counterproductive to the parliament’s intent was not in itself inappropriate.

What was not appropriate was his comment when referring to the robodebt royal commission’s concern about the absence of proper record-keeping: “It is no use just to tell everyone to change.