Directions from Ministers in relation to FOI requests
Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Defence
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear Department of Defence,
I request, under the Freedom of Information Act, documents
(including, but not limited to, emails, letters or other notes to
which the department has access) which reference requests,
decisions or opinions by either the minister currently responsible for the
Department or any other currently serving federal minister on
how the department should handle Freedom of Information (FOI)
requests.
I also request that the charges associated with this request be
waived on public interest grounds, due to the importance of FOI
(and requests, decisions or opinions by Ministers in
relation to how the department manages FOI requests) has in keeping
the Government to account.
Yours faithfully,
Ben Fairless
UNCLASSIFIED
Good morning
Thank you for your email. Your email has been forwarded for consideration/action.
Someone from our office will be in contact.
Kind regards
Nicole Hanna
FOI Operations Officer
Ministerial and Information Management Branch Defence Support and Reform Group
* Department of Defence | CP1-6-001| PO Box 7910 | Canberra ACT 2610 | * (02) 6266 2210 |Email
[email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
Our reference: FOI 295/13/14
Mr Ben Fairless
Right to Know Organisation
Dear Mr Fairless
1. I refer to your email of 22 February 2014, in which you
sought access, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), to:
“ documents (including, but not limited to, emails, letters or other
notes to which the department has access) which reference requests,
decisions or opinions by either the minister currently responsible for the
Department or any other currently serving federal minister on how the
department should handle Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.”
2. Please note that we are only able to comment on any relevant
documents that may have been provided by the Minister for Defence, not any
other serving federal ministers. As such, we have interpreted your
request to exclude reference to other ministers. Please advise this
office immediately if you disagree with our interpretation of your
request.
3. On 24 February 2014, Mrs M Davidson, Assistant Director Freedom
of Information, decided that there are no charges associated with
processing your request. Accordingly, the statutory deadline for you to
receive a response to your request expires on 24 March 2014.
4. Your request was referred to the appropriate departmental area
for consideration. This office will inform you of the outcome of your
request, when we are in a position to do so.
5. Unless advised to the contrary, our office will use your email
address,
[1][FOI #530 email] as the primary means of
communication with you.
6. Should you have any questions relating to your request, please
do not hesitate to contact our office via telephone on (02) 6266 2200 or
via email to [2][email address].
Regards
John Peterson
Freedom of Information
FOI Case Officer
IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence
and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.
If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact the
sender and delete the email.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #530 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
Dear John,
I refer to your acknowledgement of my FOI request number 295/13/14. The details of my request are contained online at https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/530
I write to respond to point 2 of your email, in which you claim that "[Defence] are only able to comment on any relevant documents that may have been provided by the Minister for Defence, not any other serving federal ministers".
I respectfully request that the Department acknowledge my request as originally written. If documents (including those from other ministers) which are the subject of my request do not exist, the Department could choose to refuse my request under s24(a) of the Act.
Please feel free to call me on [Mobile Number Removed] to discuss further if you wish.
Yours sincerely,
Ben Fairless
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Fairless,
Please refer to the attached document in relation to your Freedom of
Information request [FOI 295/13/14] submitted to the Department of
Defence.
Regards
John Peterson
Freedom of Information
FOI Case Officer
CP1-6-007
Tel: (02) 6266 3778
Fax: (02) 6266 2112
IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence
and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.
If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact the
sender and delete the email.