NSW Information Commissioner Right to Know 2015 video script
Right to Know 2015 Week Video
Elizabeth Tydd
Information Commissioner and CEO of Information and Privacy Commission
NSW Information Commissioner Right to Know 2014 video script (PDF, 68 kb)
Hello. My name is Elizabeth Tydd and I am the NSW Information Commissioner and CEO of the Information and Privacy Commission NSW, also known as the IPC.
I am pleased to launch our Right to Know Week campaign for 2015. Thank you to all our Right to Know Champions who have joined us this year and promoting and supporting the Right to Know message.
Right to Know Day is held annually on September 28 across Australia and throughout the world.
This year, NSW marks this occasion as Right to Know Week – from 28 September to 4 October – to raise awareness of the right to access government information and also to spread the message of open government.
As Information Commissioner I believe open government to be a tangible and consistent commitment by government to increase access to information, engage with citizens and to be accountable.
My role, and that of the IPC, extends beyond complaints handling. In administering the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 – also known as the GIPA Act – we are committed to the principles of open government and we work closely with NSW public sector agencies to promote a representative government that is transparent, accessible and responsive to its citizens.
Our campaign this year aims to promote the message that under the GIPA Act you have a right to access government information and public sector agencies have a commitment to the principles of open government and sharing information.
Right to Know week is an opportunity to encourage organisations that hold government information to proactively release information and make it publicly available, as well as engage with the community in order to understand their needs and expectations.
The IPC has a number of useful resources available that explain your rights to accessing government information in NSW and I encourage you to visit our website or call our enquiries line on 1800 472 679 to find out more.
Open Government enshrines three principles:
- The right to access information
- Government accountability, and
- Citizen engagement with government
The right to know is your fundamental right. Please join us in celebrating and promoting that right so that we can collectively Switch on Open Government.
