[LINK] Accountability Round Table Inaugural Parliamentary Integrity Awards: The Button Award

[Marghanita da Cruz]

> I was pleased to have the opportunity, as Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State, to work on a range of important integrity measures, such as FOI reform, protection of whistle-blowers, an Ethics Advisory Service for the public service, a code of conduct for Ministerial staff, a code of conduct for lobbying and a lobbyists’ register, and the Green Papers on electoral donation, funding and disclosure changes.
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> Becoming Minister for Defence raised new challenges. I have always acknowledged there are instances where disclosure of information is not in the national interest, where national security interests are at stake. As Minister for Defence, I have endeavoured to negotiate a path between the public interest of transparency, and the public interest of national security. 
>  
> And I hope we are getting that balance right. We have been increasingly open with the public about the challenges in defence and the steps we are taking to resolve them. I am also making regular and comprehensive statements to Parliament on Afghanistan. Defence is now making more information available in relation to both our troops wounded in action and allegations of civilian casualties. 
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> I believe that Defence's handling of FOI applications shows a very positive change in the Department's approach to transparency. Defence today is fully compliant with the FOI Act. A year ago there were 33 overdue FOI requests sitting in Defence. Today there are none. This is a real achievement. Defence has not been able to make such a claim at any time since the Act was introduced in 1983. 
<http://www.senatorjohnfaulkner.com.au/file.php?file=/news/APSZRHPUMT/index.html>
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Marghanita da Cruz
http://ramin.com.au
Tel: 0414-869202