Anger at Labor as Rex Patrick faces potential six-figure legal fee if he loses Aukus documents battle
News Source
β’Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:00:08 GMT
π° What Happened
The federal government is seeking an order to force former senator Rex Patrick to pay up to $150,000 in legal costs if he loses a Freedom of Information battle to access documents about the Aukus submarine agreement. Patrick won an administrative appeal in May for details on nuclear waste storage, but the Department of Industry, Science and Resources has appealed to the federal court.
Crossbench MPs including Jacqui Lambie and Pauline Hanson have condemned the decision, warning it breaches rules requiring the government to act reasonably in FOI disputes. They argue it sets a dangerous precedent by threatening large legal costs to discourage transparency.
π The Backstory
Rex Patrick is a former independent senator and transparency campaigner who has used FOI laws to access government documents on sensitive topics. The Aukus pact, signed between Australia, the UK, and the US, involves Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, raising questions about nuclear waste storage and environmental impacts.
Patrick's FOI battle is part of a broader transparency push around the Aukus deal. Critics argue the public has a right to know where nuclear waste will be stored and what safeguards are in place. The government's pursuit of legal costs has been described as an attempt to intimidate FOI applicants.
π― Why It Matters
If the government can make people pay huge legal fees for asking questions about nuclear waste storage, it could discourage anyone from using FOI laws and affect your right to know what the government is doing.
The federal government is seeking an order to force former senator Rex Patrick to pay up to $150,000 in legal costs if he loses a Freedom of Information battle to access documents about the Aukus submarine agreement. Patrick won an administrative appeal in May for details on nuclear waste storage, but the Department of Industry, Science and Resources has appealed to the federal court.
Crossbench MPs including Jacqui Lambie and Pauline Hanson have condemned the decision, warning it breaches rules requiring the government to act reasonably in FOI disputes. They argue it sets a dangerous precedent by threatening large legal costs to discourage transparency.
Rex Patrick is a former independent senator and transparency campaigner who has used FOI laws to access government documents on sensitive topics. The Aukus pact, signed between Australia, the UK, and the US, involves Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, raising questions about nuclear waste storage and environmental impacts.
Patrick's FOI battle is part of a broader transparency push around the Aukus deal. Critics argue the public has a right to know where nuclear waste will be stored and what safeguards are in place. The government's pursuit of legal costs has been described as an attempt to intimidate FOI applicants.
If the government can make people pay huge legal fees for asking questions about nuclear waste storage, it could discourage anyone from using FOI laws and affect your right to know what the government is doing.