The Guardian 15 February, 2006
Secretive government
The Howard Government is trying to keep the public in the dark about taxpayer-funded
advertising for its workplace revamp by charging more than $5,000 to release
information.
Melbourne newspaper, The Age, has been told publication of correspondence between
Minister Kevin Andrews and his department about the $55 million campaign "would not, on
balance, be in the public interest" but it would still be made available if the paper stumped up
$5158.
The Age appealed the Workplace Relations Department decision on the grounds that the
documents were of public interest, particularly given the breadth of response to the legislation and
the amount of public money spent.
The department rejected that appeal.
The Age had already revealed that the Prime Minister's office was intimately involved with
the campaign, run by companies that handle Liberal Party election advertising.
Just four days before the ads went to air, last October, a Howard adviser informed departmental
officials of inclusions the Prime Minister wanted in the campaign.
One possibility for the obstruction is that that Howard-sanctioned email appears to run counter to
his government's decision to renege on a pledge to release a family impact statement on the
legislation.???
A spokesman from Minister Andrews' office refused to comment on the FOI application, saying it
was a matter for the department.