press freedom

Complying with the Freedom of Information Act is a second-order priority for the Minister and the Department of Home Affairs, according to secretary Michael Pezzullo, who thinks his FOI team’s performance is “commendable” considering the limited resources it has to work with. The secretary will not allocate more resources to FOI processing or ask for […]

An angry insider links simmering discontent about promotions and deep distrust of senior executives in the Department of Home Affairs to the way internal complaints are handled, in a submission to a Senate inquiry that hears from the secretary on Friday.

The ATO has released a statement letting everyone know it “strongly disagrees” with the allegation that it can take money directly out of people’s accounts without notifying them.

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has called on the Australian Federal Police to explain whether a raid on the home of a spy agency officer is related to the investigation into a journalist. Patrick has also urged Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to give his opinion on the matter.

Amidst conversations around the recent ‘AFP raids’, we must be reminded of the delicate balance between public interest and national security, as well as the roles and responsibilities of government officials and news outlets.