Accountable leaders? FOI can help.

In the book ‘Your Right To Know’ crusading journalist Heather Brooke urges us to ask our leaders questions through platforms like Freedom of Information (FOI) requests — to finally get some answers.

We stumbled across her excellent video talk on TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/heather_brooke_my_battle_to_expose_government_corruption.html

and it reminded us of the few determined and “courageous” people who are taking the fight to the dark and dirty corners of NT DECS and the rest of the government up here.

Actually we hear them labelled as “courageous” but simply using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests should never be called this.  It should be just “normal” and “expected”.  What is “courageous” about submitting applications to try and keep our elected – and some non-elected – officials in check, accountable to the public they are supposed to serve and responsible for their actions, often using our hard-earned tax dollars as their ‘throwaway holiday spending money’? (see Govt lawyers Lee Rayner and Tim Barrett for details below)
Nothing.

Following Heather Brooke’s example: It’s easy to do, takes only a few minutes of your time and can yield all sorts of interesting things, sometimes even what people are doing behind your back while using Government computer equipment, Government email addresses and on Government time when they should really be working to help our children become better learners, get a taster here >>>> http://foifordummies.wordpress.com

That’s assuming of course that the FOI Officer Lance Follett isn’t helping NT DECS senior executives “prevent that information from getting through” to you (see here>>> https://cardfightback.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/normally-decs-will-prevent-things-like-this-from-getting-through/ for details) and definitely something that the NT Information Commissioner’s Office should be immediately notified about if it has happened to you.

We thoroughly recommend buying her book and using the wonderful tips and tricks within it to delve deeper into the world of the Nepotistic Traitorous Government machine.  Remember, they are there to work for us.

When Gary Barnes can do such a terrible job with our children’s education (according to the many other teachers and DECS employees we’ve spoken to) and his wife Claire-Gardiner Barnes has 3 kids die on her watch as boss of Children’s Services, then both win other positions in the upper levels of NT Government, something really smells bad.

Follow your nose people…..start asking questions, submit FOI requests and demand answers, proper answers.  Then tell us here at Cardfightback all about your story.  You can email us (anonymously if you want) or just start your own blog.

CFB Team: Like a can of air freshener in a backpackers’ dunny.