Citizens will now be able to trawl though Freedom of Information documents, cabinet meeting summaries and ACT Government data at the click of a mouse.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT's Open Government website went live yesterday, providing the public with a glimpse into the inner workings of the territory government.
While no Freedom of Information documents are currently available on the website, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher expects this to change as the site matures.
The website is part of an Open Government initiative that strives for ''transparency, participation, and collaboration''.
In an Australian first, the ACT Government will upload a summary of cabinet outcomes on the website.
However, the summary of cabinet outcomes will not include material concerning the territory's budget, commercial and industrial matters under negotiation and issues that could jeopardise personal privacy and safety.
Freedom of Information documents will be uploaded on to the website within 15 days of the information being supplied to the applicant.
Australian National University politics researcher Professor John Wanna said the website signalled a shift towards a culture of disclosure.
He said providing the public with this sort of information would reduce administrative burdens.
''When Freedom of Information laws were introduced across jurisdictions there was an enormous level of nervousness,'' he said. ''That was 30 years ago, generally politicians are much more open to this level of transparency, they think the community expect it.''
Professor Wanna said posting summaries of cabinet outcomes online was a New Zealand idea.
He said the new website was unlikely to change the way the ACT Government operated.
The website ties in with other Open Government initiatives including the Time to Talk website and Twitter Cabinet.
