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5 September 2022 
Alex Cambridge 
BY EMAIL:  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
In reply please quote: 
FOI Request:  FA 22/08/00824 
File Number: 
OBJ2022/22175   
Dear Alex Cambridge 
I  refer to your email dated 16 August 2022, in which  you requested access to documents held 
by the Department of Home  Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 
(the FOI Act). 
You have requested access to the following: 
Following the revelation that former PM Scott Morrison appointed himself to jointly 
run the home affairs portfolio without ever informing then-minister Karen Andrews, 
can you please advise: 
 
1. during the time Mr Morrison and Ms Andrews ran the portfolio, how many FOI 
requests were submitted to Ms Andrews in her capacity as your Minister? 
 
2. of those requests, how many should also have sought information/documents 
from Mr Morrison, had it been known that he was joint Minister? 
 
3. wil   the Department be revisiting those requests to ensure compliance with the 
FOI Act and Guidelines?. 
Intention to refuse request 
I  am  writing to  tell you that I  intend to refuse your request on the basis that a practical refusal 
reason exists. However, before I  make a final decision to do this, you have an opportunity to 
revise your request to remove the practical refusal reason. This is called a ‘request consultation 
process’. You have 14 days to respond to this notice in one of the ways set out below. 
Power to refuse request  
Section 24 of the FOI  Act provides that if the Department is satisfied that a practical refusal 
reason exists  in  relation to a  request, the Department must undertake a consultation process 
with you, and if, after that consultation process, the Department remains satisfied that the 
practical refusal reason stil  exists, the Department may refuse to give you access to the 
documents subject to the request. 
 
9 Wentworth Street Parramatta NSW 2150 
PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616 • Email:xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx • www.homeaffairs.gov.au 
 
 

 
Practical refusal 
A practical refusal reason exists under section 24AA of the FOI  Act if  either (or both) of the 
following applies: 
(1)(a)(i) the work  involved in the processing of the request would substantially and 
unreasonably divert the resources of the Department from its other operations  
(1)(b)   the request does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of the FOI  Act, 
which requires you to provide such information concerning the document you are 
seeking access to, to enable the Department to be able to identify it. 
I  consider that the request does not satisfy the requirements of section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, 
and accordingly that a practical refusal reasons exist under section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act. 
Reasons for practical refusal 
In  order for your request to be valid for the purposes of the FOI Act, it must provide such 
information concerning the documents that you are seeking access to, as is reasonably 
necessary to enable the Department to identify the documents.  
In  relation to point 2 and point 3 of your request the information provided is not sufficient to 
enable the Department to identify relevant documents. I do not consider that you have provided 
a reasonable description of the documents to which you are seeking access.  
In particular, these parts of  scope appear to be framed as questions. Please consider revising 
point 2 and point 3 of scope in ways which would increase our capacity to meet the terms of your 
request, or removing these points from scope.  
Based on the above I am satisfied that your request at points 2 and 3 is not valid and a practical 
refusal reason exists in this request. You have not provided sufficient information concerning the 
documents you are seeking to access, to enable the Department to be able to identify it. 
Request Consultation Process 
To enable the Department  to consider your request for access under the FOI Act, the 
Department will  require sufficient information concerning the specific existing documents to 
which you seek access, in order to enable the Department to identify those documents. 
You do not necessarily need to be able to identify the exact documents you are seeking, but you 
need to provide the Department with  sufficient information to  enable us  to identify them.  In 
addition, you may wish to consider providing a timeframe for your request to assist the 
Department’s officers to reasonably be able to identify the documents to which you seek access. 
You now have an opportunity to revise your request to ensure it is a valid request under section 
15(2)(b) of the FOI Act and to enable it to proceed. 
Under section 24AB(6) of the FOI Act, you have 14 days to do one of the following: 
•  withdraw your request; 
•  make a revised request; 
•  indicate that you do not wish to revise your request.  
If you do not do one of the three things listed above during the consultation period (14 days), or 
you do not consult the contact person listed below during this period, your request wil  be taken 
to have been withdrawn in accordance with section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act. 
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Contact 
Should you wish to revise your request or have any questions in relation to this process, please 
do not hesitate to contact Vythees Suppiah at xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.  
 
Yours sincerely 
 
[Signed electronically] 
 
Vythees 
Position Number: 60141911 
Freedom of Information Officer | Freedom of Information Section 
FOI and Records Management Branch 
Data Division | Strategy and National Resilience Group 
Department of Home Affairs 
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