Public servants are opting to provide their most "frank and fearless" advice verbally or by post-it note to circumvent freedom of information laws, says former Agriculture department secretary Andrew Metcalfe.
Speaking on panel at an Institute of Public Administration Australia event, Mr Metcalfe said the combined effect of freedom of information (FOI) laws and the scrapping of the conclusive certificate procedure has ensured written advice to ministers has become more accessible to the public.