Some recent goings-on in the ACT Legislative Assembly have me singing that Angels song “No Secrets”, with the line “she keeps no secrets from you” on repeat in my head. That’s because of the ACT Labor Government’s decision to withhold a range of documents it was ordered to produce.
Back in June, the Legislative Assembly agreed to a motion by Opposition Leader Leanne Castley to release the documents under Standing Order 213A. The Government moved an amendment to slightly delay the release of the documents but otherwise supported the motion. At the last minute, the Government announced they were withholding 52 of the 53 documents they were supposed to produce.
Why do I find this decision by the Government problematic?
Firstly, it is about responsible spending of public money. It’s your and my money, and we deserve to know the business cases for spending it. My mother used to say, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” Business cases should demonstrate the value for money and the benefit to the taxpayer and the territory as a whole. If the business cases stack up, why is the government keeping them hidden?
Secondly, it flies in the face of transparency and accountability. The more the government tries to keep secrets, the more suspicious we become. If they have nothing to hide, why create the aura of secrecy? I had to laugh when Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry was asked about this issue. She said something to the effect of ‘We’re very transparent, we release Cabinet documents 10 years later.’ I’m sorry, is it just me that thinks 10 years later is not transparency, it’s providing a historical record?
Thirdly, it will now cost us, the taxpayer, even more money as the Legislative Assembly had to appoint an independent arbiter to decide if the documents should be released. Again, that’s your money and my money being spent.
Transparency about decision-making processes helps citizens understand that government choices involve complex considerations and legitimate trade-offs, rather than arbitrary or self-interested decisions. In this instance, the documents in question relate to projects like the Aquatic Centre, Canberra Stadium, Convention Centre, raising London Circuit and Telstra Tower.
Requiring ministers to publicly explain policy decisions would strengthen our democracy, If Ministers and their directorates can articulate clear rationales, have considered evidence thoroughly, evaluated alternatives, and can defend their choices against criticism, this can transform policy-making from an opaque process into one where citizens can understand and evaluate government reasoning.
Even when people disagree with outcomes, understanding the reasoning can maintain democratic legitimacy and reduce cynicism about political processes.
Some jurisdictions have implemented versions of this. The UK requires ministers to provide explanatory memoranda for regulatory decisions, while several European countries mandate impact assessments with public explanations for major policy changes.
Opposition parties, media, civil society groups, and citizens could then engage with the substance of policy rather than just its outcomes. This shifts political debate toward evidence-based discussion of policy merits and trade-offs, lifting the veil of secrecy from government decision-making.
For further discussion on this topic, head to Bite-sized politics (around 15 minutes easy listening) on Spotify.
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