Despite a 2007 pledge of reforms to restore trust and integrity in government, more than 500 secrecy clauses, which effectively criminalise the release of government information, remain in place, the report says.
Kicking against the Cornerstone of Democracy is the annual Media Alliance press freedom report, which was released on Friday.
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According to the Media Alliance, the title of the report reflects what the Alliance sees as a failure of government to fulfil its promises.
Federal secretary of the Alliance Christopher Warren says five years after the promises were made, and the government elected to power, the project appears to have stalled.
"There has been successful reform of the Commonwealth (Freedom of Information) laws ... and we've seen the federal parliament introduce shield laws to help journalists protect their confidential sources," Mr Warren said.
"But, despite repeated assurances that we would see protection for public service whistleblowers, that planned legislation appears to have hit a roadblock.
"We had a review, but no action."
The report is available on the Media Alliance website.
