Six High Court justices unite in opposing the Government’s attempts to force a citizen to pay its legal costs. What’s the scam?
The scam is that Attorney-General Michelle Rowland ignored 18 Senators and MPs and nine civil society groups who asked her to exercise her judgement and have the Government meet my legal costs, and not expose me to the Government’s legal costs.
This followed the Federal Government’s appeal of my ‘AUKUS nuclear waste’ transparency win to the Federal Court. In doing so, it added a deterrent sting to the appeal by asking the Court to order me to pay the government’s legal costs if the government won.
Separately, the South Australian Government had appealed a ‘Murray Darling’ SA Supreme Court FOI win to the High Court. They too were asking that the Court order me to pay the SA government’s legal costs if they won.
Six justices of the High Court have now exercised their judgement and told the SA Government they will only hear the appeal if the SA Government pays my legal costs.
Ministers are required to exercise judgement on a daily basis, with public interest front of mind. It should be of considerable concern to all Australians that the Attorney-General, who presides over a most important portfolio, is fighting against transparency and putting political interest ahead of public interest in the exercise of her judgement.
Shakedown at Transparency Corral. Government brings out the money gun
Rex Patrick is a former Senator for South Australia and, earlier, a submariner in the armed forces. Best known as an anti-corruption and transparency crusader, Rex is also known as the "Transparency Warrior."