A judge has ruled that documents used by the intergovernmental national cabinet to make decisions around Australia’s COVID-19 response, are not subject to confidentiality. Independent Senator Rex Patrick launched the legal battle after a failed Freedom of Information request to obtain documents outlining the minutes from national cabinet meetings. Judge Richard White of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled that the national cabinet was not part of the prime minister’s formal cabinet (or a “cabinet committee”), which includes federal members of Parliament and ministers. This meant that it was not subject to the same confidentiality rules that would normally apply. White stated that a key difference was that the national cabinet was made up of the prime minister, as well as state and territory leaders, each responsible to their own parliaments. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet was granted a 28 day stay on releasing documents and to give …