Media Release: Premier under Pressure to Act on Ministerial Diaries Disclosure Reform Call
Premier under Pressure to Act on Ministerial Diaries Disclosure Reform Call
Monday, 22 September 2025
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today said her call for the current ministerial diaries disclosure system to be reformed will be put to the vote in the Legislative Council this week, describing the current model as an exercise in deliberate obfuscation and hollow performative transparency.
“It may be the case of third time lucky for achieving genuine reform to strengthen our ministerial diaries disclosure system,” Ms Webb said.
“Should the Legislative Council see fit to support my motion on Tuesday, it will be for the third time in as many years.
Ms Webb successfully had motions passed by the Legislative Council calling for a publicly consulted reform process to strengthen and make mandatory the release of ministerial diaries on 28 March 2023, and again on 10 September 2024.
“In an attempt to ward off my 2023 motion, the Rockliff government introduced the current voluntary, unacceptably limited disclosure model.
“The government has snubbed the calls in both of my earlier motions passed by the Upper House for public consultation to ensure a mandatory ministerial diary disclosure scheme actually works in the public interest.
“It is unacceptable for the government to ignore a democratic vote by one of Parliament’s Chambers.
“There is no excuse for the Premier to ignore calls for reform to deliver a robust mandatory ministerial diaries scheme, an important transparency tool in our accountability toolkit.
“The current quarterly release of Tasmanian ministerial diaries resembles an exercise in deliberate obfuscation and performative faux transparency, designed to give the appearance only of disclosure.
“At the time of writing, the quarterly disclosures for April – June 2025 have yet to appear despite being due for release by the end of July.
“Unfortunately, under the current model for diary release, the scant details provided are largely meaningless and makes a mockery of the intent of this important accountability mechanism.
“The Premier’s most recent available disclosed diaries for the first three months of this year consists of 156 entries, excluding media events, of which only 72 items have a purpose listed.
“Of that subset of 72, “various issues”, or “various matters” are cited as the meeting purpose 66 times.
“And the government wonders why Tasmanians laugh when they hear claims of this being the ‘most transparent government’ ever.
“Tasmanians deserve better. They deserve to see democratic votes which occur in Parliament on their behalf to be respected and acted upon by the government in a timely manner.
“Tasmanians also deserve robust, functional and reliable transparency and accountability mechanisms, such as a meaningful mandatory ministerial diaries disclosure scheme
“Which is why I will be putting to the vote, for the third time in three years for a public consultation to be undertaken on how best to reform our ministerial diaries disclosure system to make it more timely, accessible and transparent.
“It may be third time lucky we’ll actually see the government take the requested action,” Ms Webb said.
Text of Motion tabled by Meg Webb MLC and to be debated on Tuesday 23 September 2025:
1). That the Legislative Council notes the resolutions of this House on the 28 March 2023 and on 10 September 2024 requesting the Tasmanian Government undertake to introduce mandated requirements for the regular and routine disclosure of all Ministerial and Cabinet Secretary official diaries, detailing scheduled meetings, and their purpose, with stakeholders and organisations, including third parties and lobbyists; and when developing this disclosure regime to also;
(a) ensure the process is informed by best practice examples of mandatory disclosure of Ministerial diary requirements established in other jurisdictions, including examples of oversight and compliance requirements; and
(b) develop and publicly consult on a proposed Tasmanian mandatory disclosure of Ministerial diaries scheme.
2). That the Legislative Council further notes that:
(a) The Tasmanian Government failed to report progress to this House by the 28 November last year as requested by the 10 September resolution;
(b) public consultation on a proposed Tasmanian mandatory disclosure of Ministerial diaries scheme did not occur; and
(c) despite the Tasmanian Government introducing quarterly routine disclosure of Ministerial diaries commencing with the January/March 2023 quarter; the current routine disclosures of Ministerial diaries system is not mandatory under statute; does not occur in a reliable and timely manner; and the format and details disclosed remain deficient.
3). That the Legislative Council also notes, given the failure to implement the Integrity Commission’s Lobbyist Code of Conduct reforms this year, the growing urgency for clear, timely and transparent disclosure of lobbying contact between government, advisors and lobbyists.
4). And that the Legislative Council calls on the Tasmanian government to:
(a) undertake comprehensive and public consultation as a priority on a best practice mandatory disclosure of Ministerial diaries model, and that process is to provide for input into the design, disclosure details, timeliness, application, and any other related matter; and
(b) report back to the Legislative Council by 5 December 2025 in relation to the above.
A Background Briefing Paper: Who Has Access to the Ministerial Ear? can be viewed below or as a pdf here
