I am very concerned that certain provisions in the current legislation may not provide sufficient transparency and accountability. Specifically, the process for declaring information ‘excluded’ may raise questions about the potential for undue secrecy (please see below).
In my view, it would be beneficial to review and refine these provisions to ensure that they strike an appropriate balance between protecting sensitive information and promoting openness and accountability. I believe that this review should be conducted in a timely manner to address any potential concerns and ensure that the legislation is functioning as intended.
Response from the Information and Privacy Commission NSW
Subject: Review of the Ombudsman’s decision
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2024, 13:23:26
From: Manuel Graeber manuel.graeber@professoriate.org
To: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au
Dear Information Commissioner,
I am writing to request formally that you review the Ombudsman’s decision to
classify the name of the decision maker (“senior management”, Attachment 1)
who stopped the Ombudsman’s investigation (Attachment 2) into reprisals for
making a recognised PID (Attachment 3) as excluded information under the GIPA
Act.
This request arises from serious concerns regarding potential collusion that
violates whistleblowing legislation.
Given the implications of such actions on public trust and accountability, I
believe there is a compelling public interest in disclosing this information.
The GIPA Act aims to promote transparency in government operations, and I
respectfully urge you to consider the significance of this matter.
I appreciate your attention to this urgent issue and look forward to your
response.
Sincerely,
Professor Manuel B. Graeber