2016-17 Most Expensive Trip
Dear Department of Social Services,
This is a request under the FOI Act.
Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by a Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in 2016-17.
I request that any fees arising in relation to this request be waived as the information is in the public interest, as it helps inform the public about how the government is spending public revenue.
Yours faithfully,
Jackson Gothe-Snape
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DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
References
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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Gothe-Snape
FOI Request No. 17/18-012 – Mr Gothe-Snape
Thank you for your request of 8 August 2017, received by the Department of
Social Services (DSS) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act)
for the following:
‘Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit
card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by a
Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in
2016-17.’
Publically available information
The Department of Finance has material publicly available on its website.
In particular, reporting of parliamentarian’s work expenses has been
published since 2008-09 at
[1]http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/p....
Specifically, in relation to your request, detailed expenditure reporting
for the Ministers in the Social Services portfolio, for the period July to
December 2016, is available here:
· The Hon Christian Porter MP, Minister for Social Services -
[2]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
· Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Social
Services and Multicultural Affairs -
[3]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
· The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services
and Disability Services -
[4]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
New independent body to oversee parliamentarians’ expenses - IPEA
From 3 April 2017, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA)
was established as an independent body to oversee parliamentarians’
expenses. In particular, IPEA has the following functions:
· Giving advice to parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act staff about
travel expenses and travel allowances.
· Monitoring the travel expenses and travel allowances of
parliamentarian and MOP(S) Act staff.
· Preparing regular reports relating to:
o all work expenses, travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by
parliamentarians
o travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by MOP(S) Act staff.
· Conducting audits relating to:
o all work expenses, travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by
parliamentarians
o travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by MOP(S) Act staff.
· Processing claims relating to travel expenses and travel
allowances of parliamentarians and their staff.
Since 3 April 2017, IPEA commenced responsibility for the reporting
functions of parliamentarians’ work expenses from Finance. You may be
aware that over time, reporting by IPEA will transition from six-monthly
reporting to a quarterly and then to a monthly reporting basis, to improve
transparency and accountability for parliamentarians’ work expenses.
Reporting for January to June 2017
We note that you have requested information for the 2016-17 financial
year. Reporting for the period January to June 2017 is currently being
compiled by IPEA. We understand that reporting for the period January to
March 2017 will be available towards the end of quarter 3 in 2017.
Reporting for April to June 2017 will be available towards the end of
quarter 4 in 2017.
DSS acknowledges there is a public interest in obtaining information on
parliamentarians’ travel expenses, which is consistent with the regime to
publish the material mentioned above.
As the information is still being completed for the full 2016-17 financial
year, it is not possible to identify the ‘most expensive trip’ until the
reporting and acquittal processes are completed.
Suggested way forward
As the documents you are requesting are more closely aligned with IPEA we
suggest you contact IPEA in relation to your request for documents. We
note you may wish to also amend the scope of your request, following your
review of the publicly available information and the comments made on
reporting, as set out above.
As IPEA would be the most appropriate agency to process your request, we
will consider your request withdrawn from DSS unless you advise otherwise,
by Wednesday, 23 August 2017. You can correspond with us regarding this
request via email to [5][Department of Social Services request email].
Kind regards
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FOI Coordinator
Government & Executive Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [6][Department of Social Services request email]
DSS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and
present.
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References
Visible links
1. http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/p...
2. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
3. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
4. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
5. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
6. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Hello,
Can you please vary my request to the following:
Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by staff in the Department accompanying a Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in 2016-17. Please determine the most expensive trip only by expenses ultimately paid for, directly or through reimbursement, by the Department.
Yours sincerely,
Jackson Gothe-Snape
Locutus Sum left an annotation ()
Refused on the ground that it is not a valid request under s 15 of the Act. The complaint from the agency is that words like "event" are not explained by the applicant.