The Albanese Labor Government and the Greens have voted against Coalition amendments to ensure transparency over critical Government decision making and protect individuals’ data privacy in the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Bill.
Under Labor’s legislation, the CDC Director-General will have broad powers to withhold information from the public, including advice relating to matters affecting “the integrity of other government processes.”
Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care Senator Anne Ruston said the powers include vague and subjective terms that could be used to conceal almost any information the Government finds inconvenient.
“Labor’s Bill also overrides normal privacy safeguards and hands the Government sweeping powers over Australians’ personal data without proper oversight,” Senator Ruston said.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and medical experts, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, have raised concerns about the secrecy provisions that could erode transparency and accountability.
The Coalition moved amendments to remove the secrecy provisions from the Bill and to strengthen privacy protections including a requirement that all data sharing declarations made under the CDC legislation be independently approved by the Information Commissioner. Labor and the Greens voted against these amendments.
“Labor’s refusal to support stronger accountability measures showed a government addicted to secrecy,” Senator Ruston said.
“This is a government that promised increased transparency, but instead it is sneaking sweeping secrecy powers into its CDC that will hide critical health decision-making from the Australian people.
“There are no appeal rights, no external oversight, and no guarantee that Australians will ever see the advice behind major health decisions including the introduction of lockdowns and directions to isolate.
“Our changes would have ensured the CDC operated with transparency and protected individual privacy. These are basic principles any responsible government should support.
“By rejecting them, Labor has made it clear it wants to keep Australians in the dark about how critical health decisions are made and how their data is used.”
Senator Ruston said Labor’s handling of the CDC Bill fits a broader pattern of increased secrecy under the Albanese Government.
“This is a government that hides documents from the public, plans to introduce a tax on truth and refuses to comply with orders of the Senate to avoid scrutiny,” she said.
“Australians deserve confidence that their government institutions are robust, transparent, and accountable - not more bureaucracy and secrecy.
“The Coalition will continue to hold Labor to account until it delivers the transparency and integrity it promised.”
ENDS
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