PS News: Queensland: Thursday,
September 15, 2016.
September 28
is Right to Information Day (RTI Day) and Queensland’s Office of the
Information Commissioner (OIC) is encouraging all Public Sector Agencies to
take part in raising awareness of information access rights.
Celebrated
annually and recognised internationally as Right to Know Day, Queensland marks
this occasion by acknowledging the contribution of the Right to Information Act
2009 (Qld) to facilitating greater and easier access to government-held
information.
This year’s
theme for RTI Day is Open government in action.
OIC said,
“Open government is more than just a right to access government-held
information. It’s a chance for Public Sector Agencies to build trust in the
community, drive innovation and deliver better services.”
“We want
agencies to explore the possibilities of increased openness and transparency,”
OIC said.
Four key
areas have been identified to showcase what can be achieved through greater
openness, transparency and accountability in government.
Open
Government in action
Open
Information expresses the overarching intent of open government; the
community’s right to government information and how that translates into
greater transparency, accountability and better decision making by government.
Open Data
demonstrates the power and potential of proactively releasing datasets held by
government.
Open Services
outlines the opportunities available to the public sector to deliver services
to the community in a more effective and efficient way, such as administrative
access and online services.
Open Research
discusses the advantages of making research publicly available and builds on
the ‘Open Access’ movement.
Professor
Anne Tiernan, Director of the Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University, will
deliver the 2016 Solomon Lecture.
Professor
Tiernan will consider: the policy environment created by Queensland’s Right to
Information Act 2009; the opportunities for open innovation practices and the
potential to drive social change through collaborative, community-led and
data-informed public policies; and the role of locally-responsive approaches
such as the Logan Together Initiative.
Annual
Solomon lecture
More broadly,
Professor Tiernan will identify the impediments that need to be overcome in
order to secure future prosperity and improve trust in public processes and
institutions in Queensland.
The Solomon
Lecture’s Master of Ceremonies will be well-known journalist and media
personality, Madonna King. Ms King will
also lead a panel discussion involving Professor Tiernan and other experts.
The event
will be held at The Edge, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane and if you
would like to attend you can register here or alternatively, it will be live
streamed, so you can watch it here.
The annual
Solomon Lecture is named in honour of Dr David Solomon AM, who reviewed
Queensland’s freedom of information laws in 2008.
Government
and non-government agencies will also have access to a range of resources which
they can share with staff and stakeholders leading up to Right to Information
Day 2016. These include; case studies, posters, checklists, web banners,
infographics and a YouTube animation on how to access Queensland
Government-held information.
They can also
show their support by becoming a Right to Information Day partner.
“This is a
great opportunity to highlight an organisation’s commitment to information
rights, showcase their achievements and support for a more open, transparent
and accountable Government,” OIC said.
“Becoming a
partner is easy and it’s free.”
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