OFFICIAL

Reference: FOI/2025/001

Dear Tyler

Thank you for your email of 2 January 2025 in which you made a request
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to the Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).

You set out the terms of the request as follows:

Is it possible to provide, with necessary redactions if you need any,
documents provided to the Governor-General for the Australian Government’s
recommendation to appoint or award Professor James Richard CRAWFORD as
Companion in the General Division, in the Order of Australia, in the
Queen's Birthday 2013 Honours List?

Notification of transfer of FOI request

The FOI Act provides a mechanism to transfer a request to another agency
where the subject-matter of the request is more closely connected with the
functions of that agency than with those of the agency to which the
request is made (section 16(1)(b) of the FOI Act). This ensures that a
decision on the request is made by the most appropriate agency. As the
subject-matter of the documents you have requested is more closely
connected with the functions of the Office of the Official Secretary to
the Governor-General (OOSGG) than with the functions of PM&C, your request
has been transferred in full to OOSGG under section 16(1)(b) of the FOI
Act.

OOSGG will be in touch regarding the processing of your request. Should
you wish to contact them, please do so by emailing
[1][email address]

Kind regards

Coordinator

FOI Section[]

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

p. (02) 6271 5849

Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [2][email address]  w. [3]pmc.gov.au

[4]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.

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Dear Tyler,

Our ref: FOI2025004

As per the email sent to you by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) dated 15 January 2025, your Freedom of Information request was transferred to the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, as PM&C determined that the subject-matter more closely connected with the functions of the Office.
Accordingly, please find attached the response to your FOI request.

Kind regards,

Freedom of Information Contact Officer
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
W: www.gg.gov.au

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OFFICIAL
FOI/2025/001

Dear Tyler,

The Department acknowledges receipt of the below internal review request.

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) provides a right for internal review of 'access refusal' and 'access grant' decisions. These terms are defined in section 53A and 53B of the FOI Act. The Department's decision to transfer this matter under section 16(1)(b) of the FOI Act is neither an 'access refusal' or 'access grant' decision. Therefore, we cannot commence an internal review into this matter.

The Department notes that the transfer was made after its initial searched could not locate any documents in response to your request. It is open to you to make a new request for access for any documents, specifying that you only seek access to documents in the Department's possession. The Department would process that fresh request in accordance with the FOI Act.

If you wish to complain about the Department's decision to transfer the request, you can do so by contacting this email address ([email address]). You can also complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner through the following link: https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...

Kind regards,
Adviser

FOI Section
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600

The Department acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and emerging Elders and Traditional Custodians of Country, and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Ref: FOI2025004
Subject: Appointments/Awards to the Order of Australia: Professor James Richard CRAWFORD (2013)

Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Office of the Official Secretary of the Governor-General,

Please pass this on to the person(s) who conduct(s) Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of the handling by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of my FOI request 'Appointments/Awards to the Order of Australia: Professor James Richard CRAWFORD (2013)'. A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/a...

My request for review is specifically as follows.

1. While DPMC has referred my request to OOSGG, DPMC itself has in fact disclosed information on similar requests for information on decisions and nominations for awards/appointments to the Order of Australia. For example, DPMC's FOI/2022/246 is available online here (https://www.pmc.gov.au/about-us/accounta...) and here (https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/fil...)

Given this,

1, DPMC

My main reason for review here concerns DPMC.

I request DPMC provide information that they possess which are within the scope of my present request, subject to redactions or omissions that may be necessary. Otherwise, DPMC should explain why my present request should be transferred out of DPMC, including why to OOSGG (which now has limited scope of disclosure obligations under section 6A of the FOI Act),and not any other office/department. It also seems if DPMC has handled the matter, it may probably retain copies of relevant documents.

2, OOSGG

I appreciate OOSGG's explanation on section 6A of the FOI Act.

Given that similar documents for other appointments/awards to the Order of Australia have been disclosed publicly (by DPMC or others- including the above example), would it be possible for OOSGG to nonetheless provide information (with redactions/omissions that may be necessary) as requested, administratively or otherwise?

Early advice from DPMC and OOSGG would be appreciated very very much.

Thank yous!

Yours faithfully,

Tyler

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[FOI #12677 email]

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Dear Tyler,

Ref: IR-FOI2025004

I refer to your email of 11 February 2025 to the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, in which you make a request under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) for an internal review of decision.

The Office acknowledges receipt of your request and will respond to you in accordance with the Act.

Kind regards,

Freedom of Information Contact Officer
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
W: http://www.gg.gov.au/

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