Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2020 04:59:46 +0000
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Declaration by Secretary Heather Smith
From: Witherspoon <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>
To: Freedom of Information <xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>

Dear Department of Industry, Innovation and Science,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's handling of my FOI request 'Declaration by Secretary Heather Smith'.

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With respect, I contend that the documents as released were crudely redacted and do not meet the requirements of the request or the FOI Act.

In my request, I raised concern with regard to the Department's failure to conduct a fraud risk assessment for a period of over 37 months (far beyond the 12 months prescribed by legislation) for its flagship division entrusted with whole-of-government business grant administration (AusIndustry Support for Business)

I noted it especially concerning that the Secretary certified compliance and vowed that divisional risk assessments had in fact been completed.

As a matter of great public interest, I note that the Department is entrusted with an annual appropriations budget in excess of $3.9 billion.

Whilst I recognise the sensitivities behind s47e redactions, these can be applied much more selectively such that:
- divisions listed as having conducted risk assessments remain visible, and
- mere mentions of risk assessments remain visible.

This would preserve the operational requirements of the Department whilst upholding public interest, transparency, the purpose of the request and that of the FOI Act.

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A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/declaration_by_secretary_heather

Yours sincerely,

Harry Witherspoon



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