There's lots to be positive about #FOI - more of the public than you think have used it and are broadly supportive.

But there's still that feeling that some public bodies are trying to avoid it...

https://clairemiller.net/2025/03/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-7-3-2025-foifriday/

#FOI shows there were at least 83,900 phone snatching offences recorded in the 12 months to July last year - almost double the 45,800 five years previously.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/mobile-phone-theft-london-met-police-b2693476.html

Some different ways to do classic #FOI requests:
- Put your response in context - holiday fines as rate per children
- Breakdown fines by area
- Keyword crime searches for OnlyFans (previously TikTok)
https://clairemiller.net/2025/02/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-7-2-2025-foifriday/

Last summer, when The Tyee learned about B.C.’s secretive plan to tighten its response to protests in the province, we had questions.

Nearly six months later — and only after filing an #FOI request — we finally received an answer.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/02/04/BC-NDP-Protests-Police-Public-Relations/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

Le #protestantisme ne doit pas se laisser scinder entre une #tradition #religieuse un peu #identitaire et une #foi intense mais ignorante de sa propre tradition.
Un éditorial d'Olivier Abel, philosophe.

https://www.reforme.net/actualite/vivre-nos-differences-ensemble/

Rex Patrick and the FOI case that has put our polies firmly in their place. They are our ‘representatives, not freelancing mavericks.

“… the public share my win on finally seeing the document, but perhaps more importantly from the Full Federal Court’s decision that ministers don’t own their documents, we do, and they are not permitted to shred them.

That’s indeed a pretty important precedent that supports democratic accountability and the integrity of government.”

This is a very imortant win for democracy and bulwark against anti-democratic forces.

#democracy #auspol #RexPatrick #FOI #SportsRort #LNP

AG cops a beating it seems:
“It might come as a surprise to some, but the Attorney-General has no constitutional or statutory role as government legal adviser. He’s been divested of the responsibility for giving legal advice under various Acts that allocates the legal work of the Commonwealth to the Solicitor-General, the Australian Government Solicitor, the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Attorney-General has no statutory responsibility for the giving of legal advice.

Indeed, there’s no requirement in the Australian Constitution or Federal legislation for the Attorney-General to be a lawyer.

Senator Katy Gallagher, who has no legal degree, was sworn into the role of Attorney-General as part of an interim five-person ministry for nine days, until the full Albanese ministry was commissioned.”

Source: Michael West Media

https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/australian-government-freedom-of-information-statistics is an interesting* summary of #foi requests from the oaic over the last 12 months

25% of requests were denied, 75% of requests were completed in time (not that there's a correlation there)

(*if you can get past the poorly embedded powerbi frame)

ping @daedalus cause is your areas