Dear Commonwealth Ombudsman,

I refer to the documents released under the FOI Act by the Commonwealth Ombudsman as available here: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/8... and here: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/8...

I note the email correspondence between then Acting Deputy Ombudsman Julia Taylor and the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Director of Legal and HR, Ms Carmen Miragaya, on pages 24 and 25 of the documents released.

On page 25, Ms Miragaya, in her email to Ms Taylor of 16 April 2021, confirms that Ms Miragaya has spoken to the Director of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Public Interest Disclosure and Major Investigations Team, Ms Claire Witham, to confirm the identities of Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman staff who were involved in the apparently multiple public interest disclosures made to the Commonwealth Ombudsman about corrupt former Australian Public Service Commissioner, John Lloyd.

The identity of persons who have been the subject of public interest disclosures made under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 constitutes "protected information" for the purposes of s.65 of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.

Under the FOI Act, I seek copies of any documents contained within Ms Julia Taylor’s email account from 1 January 2021 onwards containing the term/name “John Lloyd” or the term “Public Service Commissioner”.

Documents failing within the scope of my request can be readily identified by searching the entirety of Ms Taylor’s government issued Microsoft Outlook email account (including sent and archived emails) using the search terms “John Lloyd” and “Public Service Commissioner”.

I note that there is a wide public interest in the documents the subject of my request arising from:
- the likelihood the documents will reveal that the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman covered up or otherwise turned a blind eye to the politically motivated corruption engaged in by corrupt former Australian Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd (who was appointed to that statutory position on the basis of his membership of the Liberal Party as well as far-right group, the Institute of Public Affairs);
- the vast majority of Australian taxpayers supporting the establishment of a Federal ICAC to deal with public sector corruption such as that apparently covered up by the Commonwealth Ombudsman (also an act of corruption);
- the potential that the staff responsible for covering up the corruption engaged in by corrupt former Australian Public Service Commissioner, John Lloyd, are still involved in investigating (and covering up) corruption in the public sector; and
- paragraph 6.19 of the FOI Guidelines providing that release of the documents the subject of my request would be in the public interest including because they will “inform debate on a matter of public importance, including to: i. allow or assist inquiry into possible deficiencies in the conduct or administration of an agency or official ii. reveal or substantiate that an agency or official has engaged in misconduct or negligent, improper or unlawful conduct.”

Yours faithfully,
JRoskim

Dear Commonwealth Ombudsman,

Noting s,15(5)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982, s.13(3) of the Public Service Act 1999, and item 1 of the table in s.29 of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 - is there a particular reason you’ve not acknowledged my request made under the FOI Act?

Or are you just waiting on the Liberal Party to let you know whether or not you should comply with the law in relation to my request?

Dear Information Access,

Thank you for the belated (per s.15(5)(a) of the FOI Act and s.13(4) of the Public Service Act) acknowledgment of my request made under the FOI Act.

Noting paragraphs 6.153 and 6.154 of the FOI Guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner in accordance with s.93A of the FOI Act, I consent to the redaction, from any relevant document, the personal information of any person who isn’t or wasn’t (at the relevant time) an APS employee, statutory officer, or Member of Parliament.

Yours sincerely,

JRoskim

Dear Information Access,
Thank you for your decision. I'll likely seek internal review of that decision in the coming days, setting out why I consider your access refusal decision to be made otherwise than in accordance with the law, including by reference to actions engaged in by certain Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman staff.

Yours sincerely,

JRoskim