Anthony Albanese then takes the answer to some very strange places.

There are real issues with the current system. One is the anonymous nature of requests, for FOI applications.

Anyone can set up a Gmail address – it could be someone backed by a foreign government seeking interference and we do not know.

Just last week we expelled the Iranian ambassador and certainly the Jewish community, including the Jewish Board of Deputies made representations about some of the FOI applications that go to security, for example, around Jewish synagogues, Jewish schools and other areas as well.

The anonymous nature of applications coming forward is an issue. As is application fees, every state and territory other than the ACT has an initial FOI application fee.

Milton Dick then has to call for calm again.

Albanese continues:

The Opposition knows that charges are already part of the FOI system but under the proposals which we are putting forward, there won’t be any application fee for peoples’ own personal information and waivers will be provided for financial hardship.

In addition to that, we will make sure the issues such as the eSafety Commissioner who, for example, in 2023/24 saw a more than 2,000% increase in FOI requests compared to the previous year. Artificial intelligence means it is possible for someone who wants to disrupt an agency completely and bring it to a halt is able to do so. Governments have to respond to changes of technology.