The government has a commitment to restore the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The Albanese government has announced the appointment of privacy and freedom of information (FOI) commissioners in relation to its election commitment of fully restoring the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Elizabeth Tydd will be the new FOI commissioner and will have a five-year term while Carly Kind will be the privacy commissioner.
“I congratulate Ms Tydd and Ms Kind on their appointments and thank them for taking on these important roles,” said Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
Prior to her new role, Tydd has been the information commissioner and the CEO of the New South Wales Information and Privacy Commission since 2013. Before this, she was the executive director, office of liquor gaming and racing, department of communities. She also held various senior roles at the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading between 1997 and 2009.
Kind previously held the role of inaugural director of the Ada Lovelace Institute. Before that, she was an independent consultant to various human rights organisations, trusts and foundations, international organisations, and the private sector where she provided advice on legal, ethical, and practical issues concerning technology and human rights.
“I also express my thanks to Ms Falk for her service as privacy commissioner and to Ms Toni Pirani for acting as FOI commissioner since May 2023,” said Dreyfus.
Angelene Falk, the Australian information commissioner, will continue to be the privacy commissioner until Kind takes on her new role.
This will be the first time since 2015 where the OAIC will have a standalone FOI commissioner, privacy commissioner, and information commissioner.
Tydd’s appointment will begin on 19 February 2024 while Kind will begin her role on 26 February 2024.
