Surge in refusals for freedom of information undermines trust in Australian government, watchdog warns

Refusal rate at its highest in a decade, prompting concern among transparency advocates

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The Australian government is refusing freedom of information requests at a rate not seen for a decade, data shows, prompting concerns for transparency and accountability.

Data held by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the watchdog overseeing the FoI system, revealed the proportion of FoI requests being completely refused has shot up to 27% in the December 2024 quarter.

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