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FOI: What price the Public Interest

This piece in the SMH, by the Herald's FOI editor, calls for no commentary. Sadly, it speaks all too loudly and clearly for itself :

"If you like blood sport, then come on down to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on Monday.

On show will be another of your Commonwealth Government's muscled-up legal teams proving, once again, that when it comes to winning at the Freedom of Information game, money is no object.

In Monday's case it looks like the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is spending as much as $200,000 just to avoid giving the applicant a 50 per cent discount on a $13,055 bill.

That's right, the department responsible for the policy now forcing thousands of people off welfare benefits to save taxpayers' money is shovelling cash at the lawyers just to save $6,500. Precisely how much they are spending we won't know until a separate FoI application request on the legal fees is dealt with (unless of course they fight that one too)."

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