Karen Kline from Brisbane is challenging a decision by the Governor-General’s office and two courts not to release documents relating to the award of Australian honours. The High Court has now agreed to hear an appeal against the Federal Court’s decision. During the leave application hearing, the Governor-General’s lawyer told the High Court that specific exemption of the G-G’s records from the FOI Act was in “the public interest” defined as necessary to “preserve the confidentiality of the G-G and the Crown”. Note the similarity between this argument and the reason why the Queen of Australia’s archive at Windsor Castle is not subject to either Australian or British FOI laws. The High Court’s consideration of this case is expected to be a comprehensive airing of executive decision-making processes later this year. [“Transparency Row over Australia Day Honours” by Jane Lee with Markus Mannheim, The Canberra Times, 17 August 2013]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
