Open Access - Summaries of cabinet decisions
The ACT's Freedom of Information Act 2016 (the FOI Act) commenced on 1 January 2018. Section 23 of the FOI Act requires the Chief Minister to make publicly available information about each Cabinet or Cabinet committee decision made after commencement of the Act.
All decisions of Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Subcommittees (hence referred to as Cabinet) are in scope of the open access information requirements. The open access information requirements do not extend to items where Cabinet (or a committee) consideration does not amount to a decision. In the case of decisions of the Budget Committee of Cabinet, agreement to the appropriation bill will be taken to be the only Cabinet Decision for the purposes of the Open Access Information scheme.
Rights of review
The decision to release is a reviewable decision as identified in Schedule 3 of the Act.
Should you wish to seek a review of decisions to release information under Section 23, you may write to the ACT Ombudsman at:
The ACT Ombudsman
GPO Box 442
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Via email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au
Under section 84 of the Act, if a decision is made under section 82(1) on an Ombudsman review, you may apply to the ACAT for review of the Ombudsman decision. Further information may be obtained from the ACAT at:
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Level 4, 1 Moore St
GPO Box 370
Canberra City ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6207 1740
http://www.acat.act.gov.au/