Open Government: Public Interest Disclosure Bill to quietly lapse before the election

The Gallagher government won’t even be transparent about the most innocuous of arts grants (they don’t post them on the arts website – why not? When, for example, the Australia Council posts every one of theirs, past or present, going back years and years, with full info, and easy to navigate.)

Canberra Times 21 August 2012 once again makes light of the serious issue for the risks to the public and ACT Employees who risk unlawful reprisals if they speak out in the ACT. It’s interesting the Times chose to close comments before one can get a chance to stop work, read and expose Gallagher and Greens attempt to allow further harm to ACT Whistleblowers. The Liberals are still navel gazing as to what they will do with this Bill K2aty wants rushed through to protect herself and other senior executives!

This is what I tried to post on Canberra times tonight:
This act is flawed. It relies on the Ombudsman office and the Commissioner for Public Administration and other senior executives.
Gallagher, Hunter, Rattenbury and the Liberals know this will not work. They have been given evidence of the corrupt conduct (see 1994 BILL definition section 4 and Public Sector management Act 1994section 9 (q)) . Why don’t they use the words ‘corrupt conduct’ words, people understand?
The Gallagher/Hunter ACT Government has no genuine intention of being open, transparent or accountable. Look at who they employ at senior levels of government?
Years ago, the late Trevor Kaine tried to address this and was so disgusted with the level of cover up and corruption including by the AFP, various AttorneyGenerals and the Ombudsman’s Office; he got no support!
As to AJ Brown, what you reportedly said about the use of the PID ACT is false and misleading information AJ! There have been a number of Public Interest disclosures that have been covered up by public official’s including the ombudsman’s office, ACT Govenment Solcicitors, and the Commissioner for Public Administration and ors including legal professionals within ACT; I have witnessed this. Start talking to real whistleblowers mate who are under threat of further reprisals including from Ms Gallaghers bullies/thugs!
As to going to the courts the ACT Public Interest advocacy centre cannot find legal professionals to assist whistleblowers as they may have a conflict of interest or a perceived conflict of interest’ or they work for Katy. In addition as Jack Waterford put it- we have a second rate justice system. I have seen and witnessed this cover up and unlawful reprisals
As to going to the press, what a joke! The Canberra Times will not do thought provoking investigative reporting into serious misconduct by this government and or ACT Workcover, Comcare, AFP, DPP etc. and ABC isn’t interested in investigating misconduct in local ACT Government either.

LegalNut said :

And you think the Liberals would introduce better whistleblower protections. Someone tell him he’s dreaming.

FYI – I won’t be voting Lib either.

And you think the Liberals would introduce better whistleblower protections. Someone tell him he’s dreaming.

If I were a religious person I’d ask my gods to send us a viable alternative.

isn’t losing a weeks worth of debate due to the Liberal’s ultimately doomed no confidence motion the fault of the Liberals? The ones who are bringin on a motion that will not suceed?

Why is Liberal shill pants-on-head-man getting all fired up about this bill in August when there has been eight months to get it sorted out? The time to agitate for a bill to get attention is not in the months immediately preceeding an election.

What have the Liberals done on this front? Where is the record of their agitation to get this bill attended to sooner rather than later? Do people seriously think that changing government is going to get whistleblower protections in place sooner rather than later? The first thing the Liberals will do is scrap any policies and regulations that they don’t agree with. Introducing new regulations will come later.

At least the Liberal party has their propaganda machine well oiled.

Public interest disclosures and details of mismanagement or bullying ‘leaked’ to external agencies or to the media should be decriminalised. There is ample opportunity in the public fora for people to put their points of view and provide evidence either way. It is not good enough to say to public servants use internal processes if that avenue does not ensure ‘real’ protection (as opposed to lip service) and it is not possible without psychic powers to assess what the effects will be on job security and promotional prospects.

Also anonymous disclosures should be allowed via internal processes and treated with the same seriousness as others. Governments should be totally transparent – they work for us and as such should be accountable to the electorate.

Still much work to be done.

That revised bill was so wishy washy it was almost useless. Time to lobby and get something useful.

Opportunity for the Libs. Dunno if they’ll take it though.