SECRET papers have exposed the Bligh Government to allegations it withheld Right to Information documents to minimise negative media coverage.
The State Opposition has obtained a confidential briefing note warning Health Minister Geoff Wilson that releasing an email written by a Queensland Health doctor "may attract media attention" because of its "strong tone".
The email, which "implies that clinical advice was ignored", was never released.
The Opposition spokesman for health, Mark McArdle, accused the Government of hiding damaging information.
"The Government is using any trick it can to ensure information that does not reflect them in the most positive light is withheld from the public," he said.
The move contradicts Premier Anna Bligh's insistence in 2008 that her push for new freedom of information laws would create Australia's most open government.
Government-appointed Right to Information Commissioner Jenny Mead, who monitors compliance, yesterday declined to comment.
The email was critical of the Government's pursuit of software company Cerner Corporation to build a $243 million medical records system in Queensland hospitals.
The stage-managed approach was revealed after the Opposition decided to probe the decision-making behind its original RTI into the Cerner procurement process.
They lodged a second RTI in October, netting a July briefing note that alerted Mr Wilson to sections that could attract media interest.