Emails mentioning 'mild autism' 6-12/2023
Dear Department of Social Services,
Please provide, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information ACT, a .csv or .xlsx (not PDF) file with columns/fields of from, to, cc, subject, date, and a column with the text of the paragraph from the body of the email that mentions “mild autism” and where the date field is in July to December 2023 (inclusive). Please provide separate rows if there are multiple paragraphs that meet this criteria in an email.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like any further explanation or clarification of this request.
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
I refer to your correspondence received by the Department of Social
Services (Department) on 30 January 2025, in which you requested access
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) to:
A file (a .csv or .xlsx (not PDF)) with columns/fields of from, to, cc,
subject, date, and a column with the text of the paragraph from the body
of the email that mentions “mild autism” and where the date field is in
July to December 2023 (inclusive).
The decision for this request is currently due on 3 March 2025. This
timeframe may be extended, for example, where the Department decides to
consult with third parties. We will inform you if this occurs.
Removal of certain information from the scope of your request
The Department is seeking your agreement to remove the following
information from the scope of your request where it is not available from
public sources:
o group email addresses used for internal departmental purposes;
o all personal information of members of the public;
o all personal information of non-Senior Executive Service (SES)
government staff; and
o all personal information of SES level government staff with the
exception of the names of the Department’s SES staff.
If you agree to the above amendment the names of the Department’s SES
staff will be released where they are present in the documents and do not
attract an exemption.
Could you please respond to this email by 5 February to confirm your
agreement to this change.
Should you have any queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to
contact the FOI team via email at [1][Department of Social Services request email].
Regards
DSS FOI team
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [2][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
2. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear FOI,
you asked for my agreement to remove the following information from the scope of [my] request where it is not available from public sources:
o group email addresses used for internal departmental purposes;
o all personal information of members of the public;
o all personal information of non-Senior Executive Service (SES) government staff; and
o all personal information of SES level government staff with the exception of the names of the Department’s SES staff.
I know of no justification for removing "group email addresses used for internal departmental purposes". Please explain why this might be appropriate.
Yes, please remove "all personal information of members of the public" unless the member of the public has a clear public role in relation to autism (such as myself and my role as A4 Co-convenor).
Yes, please remove "all personal information of non-Senior Executive Service (SES) government staff" but note that the person's role is not personal information in this context.
Yes, please remove "all personal information of SES level government staff with the exception of the names of the Department’s SES staff" also noting that their role/title is not personal information in this context.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request of 30
January 2025.
Should you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact the FOI
team.
Regards
DSS FOI team
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [1][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Department of Social Services,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Social Services's handling of my FOI request 'Emails mentioning 'mild autism' 6-12/2023'.
A previous communication - see https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/1... - said:
The IT team has identified 6,142 emails that meet this description.
If the problem is extracting the paragraph that mentions 'mild autism', then you could provide (or offer to provide) the list that has already been created.
It is tragic that a government boasting "Against the backdrop of robodebt, we are hastening slowly, still," from https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8...
then says
In practice, the creation of this document would require the Department to manually retrieve each email that contains the relevant phrase and extract the relevant sections.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/e...
You must be able to do better.
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
We refer to your request to the Department of Social Services (the Department) for an internal review of your FOI request dated 27 December 2024 (LEX 52542) that sought access to:
'All communication with the NDIA from the 2nd half of 2023 that mentions "mild autism".'
This request was deemed withdrawn and as such, no decision was made under s 26 of the FOI Act. This means we are unable to accept your application for internal review.
It is open to you whether you wish to submit an FOI request with a narrower scope.
Kind regards
DSS FOI team
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past and present.
Dear FOI,
In your response you say
This request was deemed withdrawn and as such, no decision was made under s 26 of the FOI Act. This means we are unable to accept your application for internal review.
It is open to you whether you wish to submit an FOI request with a narrower scope.
I believe the request that was "deemed withdrawn" was https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/c...
but this response relates to a subsequent request made with a narrower scope already.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
Thank you for your prompt response.
To clarify, in both of your emails received today, you have referred to
your FOI request dated 27 December 2024 (LEX 52542) that sought access to:
'All communication with the NDIA from the 2nd half of 2023 that mentions
"mild autism".'
But it appears you may be seeking an internal review of your FOI request
dated 30 January 2025 (LEX 52785) that sought access to:
'A file (a .csv or .xlsx (not PDF)) with columns/fields of from, to, cc,
subject, date, and a column with the text of the paragraph from the body
of the email that mentions “mild autism” and where the date field is in
July to December 2023 (inclusive).'
Could you please confirm which FOI request (ie. LEX 52542 or LEX 52785)
you are seeking an internal review.
Regards
DSS FOI Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [1][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear FOI,
I believe my request is clear.
Your previous response showed that you created a list containing 6K emails.
In response tro my subsequent request, you claimed no such information existed and denied my request on that basis.
My revieve request in relation to "mild" is about accessing information you previously said existed, but more recently claimed did not exist.
My internal review request in rewlation to "moderate autism" asks that you simply use the process you described previously so that you can provide me with thge information I requested.
I hope that makes my review request clearer.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
It appears you are seeking an internal review of your FOI request dated 30 January 2025 (LEX 52785) that sought access to:
'A file (a .csv or .xlsx (not PDF)) with columns/fields of from, to, cc, subject, date, and a column with the text of the paragraph from the body of the email that mentions “mild autism” and where the date field is in July to December 2023 (inclusive).'
Can you please confirm that this is the FOI request in which you are seeking an internal review.
Kind regards
DSS FOI team
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past and present.
Thank you for your email.
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).
If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.
Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address]. Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.
With regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Information
Legal Services Branch
Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.
We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
Dear Mr Buckley
I refer to your correspondence received by the Department of Social
Services (Department) on 13 February 2025, in which you requested an
internal review of FOI decision LEX 52785, which sought access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) to:
‘A file (a .csv or .xlsx (not PDF)) with columns/fields of from, to, cc,
subject, date, and a column with the text of the paragraph from the body
of the email that mentions “mild autism” and where the date field is in
July to December 2023 (inclusive).’
A different decision maker will be appointed for your FOI matter. Your
reference for your internal review is LEX 52942.
The decision for this internal review application is currently due on 17
March 2025.
If you would like to provide additional reasons why you are seeking an
internal review, could you please respond to this email by Thursday 20
February.
Should you have any queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to
contact the FOI team via email at [1][Department of Social Services request email].
Kind regards
DSS FOI team
Freedom of Information | Information Law
Legal Services Group
Department of Social Services
E: [2][Department of Social Services request email]
The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
2. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]