While welcoming Premier Mike Baird's decision to publish ministerial diaries, the Greens are concerned that exemptions for allegedly commercially sensitive material can be used as an excuse for business as usual.
('Mike Baird to make ministerial diaries public after lobbying allegations' Sydney Morning Herald, 13 May, page 2, http://j.mp/1ggasyN)
Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "At the very least, decisions to remove details of meetings from published ministerial diaries should be subjected to independent review.
"The diaries of ministerial staffers should also be released.
"There are good reasons to protect the anonymity of whistle blowers and some commercial interactions.
"However, without a mechanism to ensure that the provisions are not being misused, the culture of lobbying will continue behind closed doors.
"Any minister wanting to hide a meeting will only have to claim it relates to a commercial in confidence matter.
"There is a long and dishonourable tradition in NSW politics of declaring matters commercial-in-confidence or cabinet papers when the real objective is to hide a misdeed from the public.