Finance Minister claims releasing documents could imperil “government-commissioned inquiry”.
The State Opposition’s finance spokesman Rob Lucas has been refused access to 423 documents related to the ongoing printer cartridge scandal encompassing government bodies in Australia.
The documents were requested under the Freedom of Information and has accused the Australian government of secrecy: “It’s been either Treasury or forces higher than that in the government that has basically said ‘no documents are to be released publicly or to the Opposition.
“There has to be an independent inquiry. An inquiry which is conducted by public servants and ministers of this government, the public can’t be confident that it’s going to be transparent and accountable.”
Finance Minister Michael O’Brien has stated that releasing the documents could jeopardise an ongoing government-commissioned investigation: “Somewhere along the line you’ve got to say ‘no, there’s the integrity of the investigation that needs to be protected’.”
41 government bodies have so far been linked financially to companies implicated in the cartridge scandal. A recent report stated “one public officer received gifts worth A$3,000 ($2,909/ €2,198) in a one-year period during which he ordered A$23,000 ($22,307/ €16,855) of toner, which would have cost just A$5,000 ($4,849/ €3,664) from an approved government supplier”, reported The West Australian.