Senate Order for the production of indexed lists of files

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​​​Senate Order for the production of indexed lists of files

In 1994, the Senate agreed to a motion by Senator Brian Harradine requiring all Australian Government departments and agencies to produce an indexed list of their files created in the preceding six months for tabling before the Parliament. In 1998, the Senate Order was amended to require departments and agencies to also publish the index of files on their websites. The production of the list is intended to make the operations of Government more transparent to the Australian public.

The lists are tabled and published twice a year, once in the Spring sittings and once in the Autumn sittings of the Senate.

Further information about the sittings of the Senate can be accessed by visiting the Parliament of Australia events calendar.

Detailed requirements for this Senate Order can be accessed by visiting Orders for documents on the Parliament of Australia website.

Indexed lists of files produced by the OSI

In accordance with the Senate Order, the Office of the Special Investigator's (OSI's) lists of files do not include:

• files transferred to the National Archives of Australia;
• files related to the internal administration of the OSI (staff or personnel, accounts, training, or general administrative matters); and
• case related files (for example personal representation or dealings with the personal affairs of an OSI client).

The OSI's lists do not include file titles that would disclose the deliberations of Cabinet.

Additionally, in accordance with the Senate Order, information in file titles is deleted if that information would necessarily disclose commercially confidential, identifiably personal or national security matters.

In response to the Senate Order requirement that the list be 'indexed', the files are grouped by records management classifications used within the OSI.

How to access OSI records under the FOI Act​

For information on how to make a request for access to OSI records under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please visit Freedom of Information. You can also contact our Information Access and Records Manager.