The Sydney Morning Herald logo

Secrecy

Advertisement
Illustration by Simon Letch

Time to end the lobbying protection racket

The number of lobbyists seeking to influence the federal government has soared, yet they’re bound by secrecy that stifles honest business.

  • Parnell Palme McGuinness

Latest

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher.

‘Overpaid political hacks’: Public trust lost over jobs for mates

The recommendations of a long-awaited review into political appointments have been set aside by the federal government.

  • Brittany Busch and Nick Newling
Anthony Albanese says Scott Morrison operated a “cult of secrecy”.

Growing culture of secrecy will hurt the Albanese government

The federal government faces serious integrity challenges and must recalibrate its growing penchant for non-transparency.

  • The Herald's View
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Albanese as bad as Morrison on integrity: Teal MPs and new report card slam Labor

In a report card on Labor’s transparency record, the Centre for Public Integrity claims it has failed in six of seven fields.

  • Paul Sakkal
Letch

New leader, same old secrecy. Didn’t Albanese promise to shine a light?

Yes, Albanese has no secret ministries. But the facts show that Labor is presiding over flawed decisions to hide too much from citizens.

  • David Crowe
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to address secrecy in government.

It can be a battle to get information from the Albanese government

Like most governments, this one arrived in office promising more accountability and transparency. Also like others, in practice it has a penchant for control and secrecy.

  • Michelle Grattan
Advertisement
Members of the public wear face masks as they go about their daily lives.

Cabinet secrecy denies Sydney’s lockdown suburbs the truth

This is a suppression of human rights, yet other states are not hiding behind the cabinet-in-confidence decisions.

  • Andy Marks
Illustration: Simon Letch

God save our history: it’s time King Charles called off royal censors

The royals refuse access to their archives, often on the slim pretext that the details are ‘personal’. I was repeatedly denied access while researching my Queen Victoria biography.

  • Julia Baird
Bernard Collaery arriving at court in Canberra.

With truth on trial, the Attorney-General’s High Court bid for secrecy is dangerous

The government’s attempts at secrecy are reaching unprecedented and absurd heights in this whistleblower case.

  • Kieran Pender
Administrative Appeals Tribunal registrar Sian Leathem has claimed the names of members who only finalise a handful of claims each year must be kept secret or risk affecting their mental health.

Senators tell AAT it can’t keep secret the names of its slow workers

The Administrative Appeal Tribunal has refused to answer Senate questions about which of its members have only finalised a handful of cases in a year.

  • Katina Curtis