Communications relating to Brian Houston
Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
I request under the Freedom of Information Act the disclosure of any and all communications, from or to this office, relating to Brian Houston’s accompaniment of the Prime Minister on his trip to the United States in September 2019.
I would expect this to include any internal memorandum or communications electronic or written between this office and other government departments, current MP’s, departments of US government or any person acting on behalf of such. Staffers and and any and all others persons this office would reasonably find in the public interest of this request are also expected.
I request any retrieval fee to be waivered under the good faith of the public interest in which this information resides.
Yours faithfully,
James Pritchard
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pritchard
I refer to your email dated 21 September 2019 to the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department) in which you made a freedom of
information (FOI) request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
FOI Act) in the following terms:
I request under the Freedom of Information Act the disclosure of any and
all communications, from or to this office, relating to Brian Houston’s
accompaniment of the Prime Minister on his trip to the United States in
September 2019.
I would expect this to include any internal memorandum or communications
electronic or written between this office and other government
departments, current MP’s, departments of US government or any person
acting on behalf of such. Staffers and and any and all others persons this
office would reasonably find in the public interest of this request are
also expected.
I request any retrieval fee to be waivered under the good faith of the
public interest in which this information resides.
We apologise for the delay in our response, which is owing to the fact the
decision-maker on your request has been travelling for work.
In the meantime, we can advise that Mr Houston did not accompany the Prime
Minister on his trip to the United States in September 2019; thus, the
Department does not hold any documents that would fall within the scope of
your request.
In light of the above, we would be grateful if you could please advise in
writing if you wish to revise the terms of your request such that they
provide clarity on the documents you are seeking to access.
In the event you provide revised terms with such information as is
reasonably necessary for the Department to identify any documents it may
hold, we would accept and process your request as valid from that date
onwards.
If you indicate that you wish to continue with your request in the above
current form, the Department would expect to issue you with a decision
refusing your FOI request on the grounds that no relevant documents exist.
We would be grateful for your response by 15 October 2019 at the latest.
Sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [1][DPMC request email] | w. [2]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
[3]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[DPMC request email]
2. http://www.pmc.gov.au/
Dear Advisor and decision-maker,
I would hope that any communication relating to Brian Houston's possible accompaniment of the PM to the United States would have been understood to be included in my original request as would be done so by a reasonable person.
For clarification I am seeking under FOI any documents held by this office relating to any of the following;
- A planned accompaniment of the PM by Brian Houston to the United States at any stage from Jan 1 2019 to date of request.
- A rumoured accompaniment of the PM by Brian Houston to the United States at any stage from Jan 1 2019 to date of request.
- A suggested accompaniment of the PM by Brian Houston to the United States at any stage from Jan 1 2019 to date of request.
- An disputed accompaniment of the PM by Brian Houston to the United States at any stage from Jan 1 2019 to date of request.
- A disproven accompaniment of the PM by Brian Houston to the United States at any stage from Jan 1 2019 to date of request.
In keeping with your proposed response times I would be grateful for your response by October 18 at the latest.
Yours something,
James Pritchard
Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's handling of my FOI request 'Communications relating to Brian Houston'.
This request was lodged by (me) James Pritchard September 21, 2019.
This request was responded to by PM&C October 11, 2019.
Revised terms were provided October 14, 2019.
This request is now delayed and as such in breach of law.
I have contacted your office on November 14, 15 and 18 and promised say day return contact on each occasion which did not occur.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/c...
Yours,
James Pritchard
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pritchard,
Thank you for your email below. The Department is in the final stages of processing your FOI request (as revised on 14 October 2019) and will be in touch as soon as possible.
We apologise for the delay.
Kind regards,
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy Section | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [DPMC request email] | w. www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
This email and any attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information. You should not read, copy, use or disclose them without authorisation from the sender. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and advise the sender.
OFFICIAL
FOI/2019/260
Dear Mr Pritchard
Please see attached the decision in response to the request you made to
the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 in the following terms.
I request under the Freedom of Information Act the disclosure of any and
all communications, from or to this office, relating to Brian Houston’s
accompaniment of the Prime Minister on his trip to the United States in
September 2019.
I would expect this to include any internal memorandum or communications
electronic or written between this office and other government
departments, current MP’s, departments of US government or any person
acting on behalf of such. Staffers and any and all others persons this
office would reasonably find in the public interest of this request are
also expected.
Sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [1][DPMC request email] | w. [2]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
[3]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[DPMC request email]
2. http://www.pmc.gov.au/
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pritchard
I refer to the attached email in which the Department notified you of the
decision on your FOI request.
Can you please advise whether you wish to continue with your request for
internal review of the decision?
Yours sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy Section | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [1][DPMC request email] | w. [2]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00 [6]cid:image004.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00
[7]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pritchard
We do not appear to have received a response from you in relation to our
email of 26 November 2019 regarding whether you wish to continue with your
internal review request.
We have tried to reach you by phone today at 10:56AM and 10:57AM.
Could you please advise us whether you wish to continue with your request
for internal review of the decision?
As we notified you of a decision on your request after we received your
internal review request, unless you advise us by Wednesday, 4 December
2019 that you wish to continue with an internal review, we will take it
that you no longer wish to continue with an internal review and regard the
matter as finalised.
Yours sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy Section | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [1][DPMC request email] | w. [2]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00 [6]cid:image004.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00
[7]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.
From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 26 November 2019 9:11 AM
To: 'James Pritchard' <[FOI #5644 email]>
Cc: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Internal review of Freedom of Information request -
Communications relating to Brian Houston (PMC ref: FOI/2019/260)
[SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pritchard
I refer to the attached email in which the Department notified you of the
decision on your FOI request.
Can you please advise whether you wish to continue with your request for
internal review of the decision?
Yours sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy Section | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [8][DPMC request email] | w. [9]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
[10]cid:image001.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[11]cid:image002.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[12]cid:image003.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00 [13]cid:image004.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00
[14]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.