Rex Patrick

A NUCLEAR STRIKE ON TRANSPARENCY WITH SIGNIFICANT FALLOUT

The Albanese Government was ordered to disclose politically sensitive AUKUS nuclear waste site info, but it has instead launched a nuclear strike on transparency with significant FOI fallout. Senator David Shoebridge has called it an “ugly precedent in secrecy”.

FOI to die? Albanese’s nuclear strike on transparency - Michael West Albanese Government has brought a Federal Court appeal to overturn an Administrative Review Tribunal win to keep AUKUS waste plans secret

DESPERATELY SEEKING SECRECY ON A WORST KEPT SECRET

The perpetrators of the 2004 spying on Timor Leste’s maritime boundary negotiating team have asked Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to issue a ‘secrecy certificate’ over the reasons they shouldn’t have to confess to the sordid gas theft crime everyone knows they facilitated.

HOW TO CREATE A FEARFUL CHILDREN’S GUARDIAN

In 2019 the NSW Parliament created an independent Children's Guardian only Parliament could sack. But that didn't suit Minister Kate Washington who didn't want a fearless Guardian and changed the law so she could order his/her sacking.

Children’s Guardian cover-up. Changing the law to justify sacking - Michael West The State Government is trying to stop MWM from reporting on the sacking of NSW Children's Guardian, despite the public interest in the case.

BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS SPENT, WITH NOTHING IN RETURN

In the 17 years since the future sub program commenced, Defence has spent 3,400 million NOT buying French submarines 🤦‍♂️ and 1,000 million NOT life extending Collins submarines 🤦‍♂️ and 5,000 million on US submarines that WON’T arrive🤦‍♂️.

Hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars: Tallying Defence's toxic submarine waste The shame of it is $693 million doesn’t even touch the sides of our wasted investment in submarines. Rex Patrick crunches the numbers.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE - ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Since making my 2023 FOI request for Snowy 2.0 project cost/schedule reports, the project’s blown out from $6B to $42B. The Govt’s strategy to keep these reports secret is to outprice me so the appeal can’t continue. Meanwhile, taxpayers continue to pay for the blowout.

WORKING JUST THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT LIKES IT

The Auditor-General has handed down her report into Australia's very broken Freedom of Information system. Champaign bottles can be heard popping in Albanese’s Prime Ministerial suite.

Our FOI system is broken — just the way government likes it A scathing report proves our freedom of information system is not working under the Albanese government, but nor has it worked under any government in living memory.

BEAUTY IN THE MIST

When you Work From Roam, you can duck down the road during a break and see wonderful things; in this case one of the tallest waterfalls in the southern hemisphere.

Ellenborough Falls , Mid North Coast, NSW.

FINANCIAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY FAIL!

Wasted - $693,000,000! And a national security fail as a capability gap is confirmed. But if you’re thinking someone’s going to get fired over this, don’t hold your breath.

Substandard. The Auditor General's verdict on Collins Class extension - Michael West The Auditor General's report on Defence’s project to extend the life of the Collins Class submarines declares it a grand fail.