Open Government

Public scrutiny is the single most effective force for good governance and high standards in public life. The more the affairs of government are open to scrutiny by the electorate, the fewer are the opportunities for those in power to abuse their position.

The Freedom of Information Act is, in many respects, a misnamed piece of legislation and a much stronger commitment to open government at all levels would particularly benefit local government.

The increasing use of networked digital technology in government workplaces effectively eliminates the cost objection to more open governance: the "documents" folder of every government employee's work computer could be made "world-readable" - or at least searchable by Google, with separate provision for correspondence where privacy is required (such as dealing with individual citizens on personal matters).