2SER: Why changes to freedom of information law could harm transparency

The Australian Government has introduced the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025.

Freedom of information, or FOI, is key to holding government and agencies to account, helping to expose and prevent corruption and abuses of power. Indeed, FOI requests have helped uncover some of Australia’s most notorious recent scandals, including robodebt.

But legal experts say reform of Australia’s FOI system is long overdue, with the law scarcely changed since it was first passed in 1982.

Now the Federal Government has introduced a Bill to change how freedom of information works.

Rather than improving things, lawyers and transparency advocates are concerned it could make the FOI system even worse. Jonathan Hall Spence joined 2SER Breakfast to explain why.