Documents relating to a trip of politicians to Hungary
Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
This is a Freedom of Information Request for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
I seek access to the following:
(a) All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities in relation to Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's and Member for Menzie's Kevin Andrews' visit to Hungary in 2019
(b) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Tony Abbott in relation to his proposed trip to Hungary in 2019
(c) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Kevin Andrews in relation to his proposed trip to Hungary in 2019
(d) Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's and Member for Menzie's Kevin Andrews' visit to Hungary in 2019
Yours faithfully,
Alex Pentland
OFFICIAL
FOI Request: LEX 8551
Dear Mr Pentland
Thank you for your email dated 24 July 2023 seeking access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
This email sets out some information about how your request will be processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
Scope of request:
You have sought access to:
(a) All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities in relation to Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's and Member for Menzie's Kevin Andrews' visit to Hungary in 2019
(b) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Tony Abbott in relation to his proposed trip to Hungary in 2019
(c) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Kevin Andrews in relation to his proposed trip to Hungary in 2019
(d) Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's and Member for Menzie's Kevin Andrews' visit to Hungary in 2019.
If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the request.
Timeframe for receiving our decision:
We received your request on 24 July 2023, and the 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date, meaning a decision is currently due to you on 23 August 2023. The period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances.
Charges:
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI requests. If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your request.
Disclosure log:
Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information), documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the department’s disclosure log.
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:
It is the department’s policy to withhold the mobile numbers of all government officials, and the names, gender pronouns, and contact details of government officials not in the Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent. If you require the mobile numbers of all government officials, or the names and contact details of non-SES officials, please let us know at [DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your request.
Personal Information:
If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request, even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have any concerns in this regard. You can access on the department’s website a copy of the privacy policy.
Should you require any further information, please contact us by return e-mail at [DFAT request email]
Kind regards
Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
OFFICIAL
FOI Request: LEX 8551
Dear Mr Pentland
Thank you for your recent FOI request made to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
The department continues to process your request and is currently undertaking searches across multiple line areas to identify relevant documents.
We write to seek your agreement to an extension of seven (7) calendar days to process your FOI request in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act. This means a decision would be due to you by Wednesday 30 August 2023.
The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes and provide you with an outcome.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly as possible, and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is available.
If you are minded to agree, we would be grateful if you could please reply to this email providing your agreement by COB Friday 18 August 2023.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact [DFAT request email].
We appreciate your assistance in this matter.
Kind regards
Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Thank you for your update regarding this request
I agree and consent to this extension, and wish you the best in your work.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Pentland
We appreciate your very quick response and for granting the department with an extension of time.
We will continue processing your request and will be in touch in due course.
Thank you
Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
OFFICIAL
FOI Request: LEX 8551
Dear Mr Pentland
Please find attached a letter advising the outcome of your FOI request,
together with the documents released to you.
Kind regards
Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]Twitter | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[6]We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to
their Elders, past, present and emerging.
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