前澳大利亚参议员雷克斯·帕特里克因申请获取澳英美核潜艇协议中核废料存储地点的信息而动用信息自由法，于5月赢得行政上诉[1]。然而，澳大利亚工业、科学和资源部已向联邦法院提起上诉，试图推翻该裁定，并要求帕特里克在败诉时支付最多15万美元的政府法律费用[1]。
这一决定引发多位跨党派议员和透明度倡导者的强烈不满。参议员杰基·兰比和保琳·汉森等人批评了该举措[1]。司法部长米歇尔·罗兰德上周表示政府依法可以要求帕特里克支付费用[1]，但兰比指控罗兰德"像工党的傀儡一样行动"[1]。透明度倡导者托斯卡·劳埃德表示，六位数的法律账单将严重限制普通民众使用信息自由法的能力[1]。帕特里克引用1912年高等法院先例，要求政府遵守"公平竞争标准"[1]，反对这一费用要求。
Former Australian senator Rex Patrick won an administrative appeal in May seeking access to documents about the location of nuclear waste storage for the AUKUS submarine fleet under freedom of information laws [1]. However, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources has appealed the decision in federal court and is seeking to overturn the ruling while demanding that Patrick pay up to $150,000 in government legal costs if his challenge fails [1].
The government's move has drawn sharp criticism from cross-party lawmakers and transparency advocates who argue it violates established conventions requiring governments to act as model litigants in court proceedings [1]. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said last week that the government was entitled by law to seek cost recovery from Patrick [1]. Patrick has invoked a 1912 High Court precedent in arguing that the government must adhere to a "level playing field standard" [1].
Senators including Jacqui Lambie and Pauline Hanson have condemned the decision, with Lambie accusing Rowland of "behaving like a Labor stooge" [1]. Transparency advocates have warned that six-figure legal bills would deter ordinary citizens from using freedom of information mechanisms [1].