Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet confirms OGP work shelved until after election
A copy of David Solomon’s message to the Prime Minister about next steps regarding the National Action Plan was sent to the Department as well, prompting this reply from Deputy Secretary Steven Kennedy.
Dear Mr Timmins,
Thank you for your email, dated 17 May 2016, requesting that Mr David Solomon’s letter to the Prime Minister about the Open Government Partnership (OGP) be brought to my attention.
I can confirm that, given the Government is now in a caretaker role pending the outcome of the election on 2 July 2016, the National Action Plan will not be submitted to the OGP Steering Committee by 1 July 2016. OGP representatives are aware of the circumstances necessitating our late submission.
OGP membership is a matter of policy which would be inappropriate for the Government to deal with at this time. Caretaker conventions also affect the type of information that public servants can publish during an election campaign. Once the outcome of the election is known, you may wish to engage with the incoming government about OGP matters, including your concerns about the National Action Plan commitments and consultation process.
This has been a learning experience for the Department. We recognise that for future National Action Plans opportunities for public participation can be improved, and we are working to establish a mechanism to ensure that this occurs.
I trust this has been of assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Steven Kennedy
Deputy Secretary | Innovation and Transformation
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
GPO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600