International Right to Know Day 2018
Joint media statement
Australia and New Zealand’s Information Access Commissioners join together in support of International Right to Know Day
Information Access Commissioners from across Australia and New Zealand have released a joint statement ahead of International Right to Know Day, following a meeting in Sydney on 20-21 September 2018, focusing on open government and access to government-held information.
The community’s right to know is the foundation of open and accountable government. Access to the information and data held by government strengthens our democracy by promoting greater public participation and scrutiny and supporting better decision-making.
International Right to Know Day, held on 28 September, recognises citizens’ right to access this information and reinforces the importance of transparency in building trust in government. As Information Commissioners we strive to promote and uphold the fundamental right of citizens to access government information.
On #RTK2018, we encourage all government agencies across Australia and New Zealand to consider taking a proactive approach towards releasing information and documents.
We are also supporting information access officers in carrying out their very important role as part of the effective management of government-held information.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the right to know at one of the many #RTK2018 events to be held next week.
Co-signed by:
Angelene Falk, Australian Information Commissioner
Peter Boshier, Chief Ombudsman, New Zealand (represented by Bridget Hewson, Deputy Ombudsman, New Zealand)
Elizabeth Tydd, Information Commissioner, New South Wales
Sven Bluemmel, Information Commissioner, Victoria
Rachael Rangihaeata, Information Commissioner, Queensland
Catherine Fletcher, Acting Information Commissioner, Western Australia
Wayne Lines, Ombudsman, South Australia
Richard Connock, Ombudsman, Tasmania
Jaala Hinchcliffe, Acting Ombudsman, ACT (represented by Paul Pfitzner, Senior Assistant Ombudsman, ACT)
Peter Shoyer, Information Commissioner and Ombudsman, Northern Territory