The Freedom of Information Amendment (New Arrangements) Bill 2014 was passed by the House of Reps on Tue 28.10.2014 with 2 Government amendments and now moves to the Senate.
Among other things, the Bill would establish an Australian Privacy Commissioner as an independent statutory office in the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The amendments made by the House provide that AHRC may, rather than must, provide such assistance to the Commissioner as is necessary to enable the Commissioner to perform his or her functions.
The Bill proposes to repeal the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 and amend the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act), the Privacy Act 1988 and the Ombudsman Act 1976 and other Acts to implement the 2014-15 Budget measure, Smaller Government – Privacy and Freedom of Information functions – new arrangements.
The amendments in the Bill would abolish the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and streamline arrangements for the exercise of privacy and FOI functions.
[LTN 209, 2910/14]