McGinty - FOI Loser (Pt 2)

Chief Justice Martin rules against McGinty & Carpenter Government

The Desert Rat thinks Jim McGinty has become a recidivist loser, especially with matters involving the Freedom of Information Act.

The McGinty Government (technically the Carpenter Government) has just lost a Supreme Court bid to stop taxpayers finding out the basis of pay rises given to politicians, by making the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal (SAT) subject to the FOI Act.

We will soon be able to read the $185 000 taxpayer funded Mercer Report which the Carpenter Government has been hiding from the public for two years. That is how long it has taken The West Australian to fight this anti-democratic cabal to get the report. This week they were successful in the Supreme Court.

Soon we will be able to find out what the Mercer Report said about politicians’ workloads and learn how the SAT justified the big pay rises two years ago; up to $66 000 for some fat cats. It will make interesting reading when finally released.

The Report may disclose some matters Jim McGinty would prefer to keep secret. Of special interest will be what the Mercer Report says about Jim McGinty's decision to cut the salary of the former Acting Freedom of Information Commissioner Darryl Wookey who was sacked by McGinty after he first slashed her salary. Did he expect her to resign?

The Desert Rat thinks Jim McGinty would prefer the details of that grubby bit of bullying, be kept secret.

The Mercer Report should shed light on McGinty’s appalling political action in downgrading the salaries of three other Government watchdogs that he seems to want muzzled. The Public Service Standards Commissioner and the Electoral Commissioner and the Information Commissioner all got the chop while the politician got the gravy.

Jim McGinty does not seem to want open government.

While chopping funds to these four watchdogs of Government, McGinty has shovelled nearly $90 million of taxpayers funds in the incompetent Corruption and Crime Commission which is desperately trying to destroy Brian Burke and Julian Grill both who are able to thwart McGinty’s complete control of the State Labor Party.

The Desert Rat is interested to read what McGinty and Carpenter have wanted to hide from the public for two years.

McGinty - FOI Loser

A Miffed McGinty - Petty and Petulant

The Desert Rat thinks Jim McGinty is becoming a loser because of his fear and paranoia about bad news and publicity. His woes have come from his inability to accept that Western Australians have a State Freedom of Information Act .

When public information or documents are applied for that McGinty does not want released he can be very petty and petulant.

The Desert Rat would like McGinty to show some courage and respond to the media when bad news is around or unpalatable facts are exposed. Instead we have to usual two-year-old behaviour of hiding and skulking - "Mr McGinty was unavailable for comment" or "Mr McGinty could not be contacted"!

The first smack on McGinty’s bulbous red nose came from news that the new Acting Freedom of Information Commissioner John Lightowlers was seeking legal advice about how FOI documents can be fairly released.

Lightowlers has decided to seek Parliamentary support for changes that would ensure that media organisations which apply for information are not given documents after they have been provided to their rivals.

The West Australian applied for all documents related to the recent payout of Neil Fong. Instead they were provided to, or leaked to Channel 9, before they were given to The West Australian.

Channel 9 broke the “exclusive” story which should have been broken by The West Australian.

Is this McGinty’s way of showing his displeasure to The West Australian reporters? Often documents applied for, are released, the day before the Carpenter Government is forced to give them to the applicant. The recent Casey Report on the Department of Indigenous Affairs is one of many such secrecy examples.

Jim McGinty resents, or doesn’t want to, or doesn’t seem to realise that the FOI Act was passed by Parliament to allow the public to participate in Government and make Government representatives more accountable to the public.

The Desert Rat thinks Opposition Leader Troy Buswell was spot-on when he said that

“McGinty’s way of manipulating the FOI process to play favourites and that it had undermined the integrity of the accountability system”.

Secrecy and a fear of facing the facts or the unpleasant truth are McGinty’s political hallmarks. Openness and transparency are weak points.

The Labor Government should not be run like the Socialist Left faction where fear reigns and everyone does as they are told.

No questions asked!