FOI Request: Access to Data Sharing Agreements and Related Documents
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
I, Trent Morrison-Francis, am requesting access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Specifically, I am seeking:
All active Memorandum of Understanding, Heads of Agreement, Data Sharing Agreements, and Service Contracts that result in the sharing of veteran data, even if de-identified. I am looking for similar documents for programs and agreements that ceased within the last 10 years or are still active.
I prefer to receive these documents electronically via the Right to Know system by responding to the email through which this request has been sent.
Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Trent Morrison-Francis
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
This has not been responded to such should I deem this as a deemed refusal.
Yours faithfully,
Trent Morrison-Francis
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis
Thank you for bringing the Department of Employment and Workplace
Relations (the department)’s lack of response to your request made under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) on 31 October 2023 to our
attention.
It appears your request was inadvertently filed in an incorrect folder,
and was therefore not registered until today. We apologies for this, and
we are currently investigating how your request was misplaced.
The department intends to apply to the Office of the Information
Commissioner (OAIC) as a matter of priority for an extension of time in
which to process your request under s 15AC of the FOI Act, and you will be
notified about this in the coming days. In the interim, please consider
this email an acknowledgement of your request.
Acknowledgement of FOI request
You have requested access to:
“…All active Memorandum of Understanding, Heads of Agreement, Data Sharing
Agreements, and Service Contracts that result in the sharing of veteran
data, even if de-identified. I am looking for similar documents for
programs and agreements that ceased within the last 10 years or are still
active.”
Your request has been allocated the reference number LEX 853. Please
include this reference number in all correspondence relating to your FOI
request.
Timeframe for request
Your request was received by the department on 31 October 2023, and under
section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act the 30-day statutory period for processing
your request commenced from the day after that date. A decision on your
request was therefore due by 30 November 2023, and your request was deemed
to be refused on that date. As outlined above, the department will apply
to the OAIC to bring your request back into statutory timeframes, and
notify you once a new due date is known. In the meantime, the department
will continue to progress your request.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #10819 email]. Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Charges
The department will advise you if a charge is payable to process your
request and the amount of any such charge as soon as practicable. No
charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Irrelevant material
To the extent the department has documents in its possession that fall
within the scope of your request, we will treat the following types of
material as irrelevant in accordance with section 22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI
Act:
o any duplicate documents
o drafts where there is a final version available
o documents that are publicly available
o the names, signatures, position titles, staff identification numbers
and direct contact details of Commonwealth staff.
If any of the above material falls within the scope of your request, it
will be excluded, unless you tell us otherwise by 7 December 2023.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][email address].
Yours sincerely
Rebecca
Authorised Decision Maker
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[3]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
-----Original Message-----
From: Trent Morrison-Francis
<[4][FOI #10819 email]>
Sent: Monday, December 4, 2023 3:08 PM
To: DEWR - FOI <[5][DEWR request email]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - FOI Request: Access to Data
Sharing Agreements and Related Documents
**************************************************************************
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organisation. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know
the content is safe.
**************************************************************************
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
This has not been responded to such should I deem this as a deemed
refusal.
Yours faithfully,
Trent Morrison-Francis
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #10819 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[7]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.dewr.gov.au/
4. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
5. mailto:[DEWR request email]
6. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
7. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Our reference: RQ23/05916
Agency reference: LEX 853
Mr Trent Morrison-Francis
Sent by email:
[1][FOI #10819 email]
Extension of time application by the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis,
I write to advise that on 6 December 2023, the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (the OAIC) received an application from the
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (the Agency) for an
extension of time to process your FOI request of 31 October 2023.
The Agency has applied for an extension of time under s 15AC of the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) because a decision on your FOI
request was not made by 30 November 2023.
The Agency has advised the OAIC that:
The Agency has requested an extension to 15 January 2023. The decision
maker will take any comments you may have to make into account when
deciding the application.
Please respond to this email by close of business 11 December 2023. Please
do not hesitate to contact us before this date should you require further
time to provide your response. If I do not hear from you by this date, the
decision maker will proceed to make a decision on the basis of the
information provided to the OAIC by the Agency.
You will be notified of the decision once the matter has been finalised.
Further information about extension of time requests may be found on our
website at [2]Extensions of time.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact me on 1300 363 992 or via email
at [3][email address]. Please quote OAIC reference: RQ23/05916 in all
correspondence.
Yours sincerely
[4][IMG] Hannah Holswilder
Director, Freedom of Information Branch
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Adelaide | GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
E [5][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[6]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
2. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
Our reference: RQ23/05916
Agency reference: LEX 853
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Trent Morrison-Francis
Extension of time under s 15AC
Dear Parties,
Please find attached an extension of time decision relating to Trent
Morrison-Francis’ FOI request with the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations.
Regards,
[1][IMG] Hannah Holswilder
Director, Freedom of Information Branch
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Adelaide | GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
E [2][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[3]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis
I refer to our correspondence below.
Subject to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OAIC) granting an
extension of time under section 15AC of the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (Cth) to process your request, the department intends to send a
decision to you by Friday 22 December 2023.
I advise that we are currently in discussion with the OAIC regarding this
request. Once an outcome is known to the department, I will let you know.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Kind regards
Rebecca
Authorised Decision Maker
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[1]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
From: DEWR - FOI <[2][DEWR request email]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 9:16 AM
To: [3][FOI #10819 email]
Cc: DEWR - FOI <[4][DEWR request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Acknowledgement of your FOI
request - LEX 853
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis
Thank you for bringing the Department of Employment and Workplace
Relations (the department)’s lack of response to your request made under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) on 31 October 2023 to our
attention.
It appears your request was inadvertently filed in an incorrect folder,
and was therefore not registered until today. We apologies for this, and
we are currently investigating how your request was misplaced.
The department intends to apply to the Office of the Information
Commissioner (OAIC) as a matter of priority for an extension of time in
which to process your request under s 15AC of the FOI Act, and you will be
notified about this in the coming days. In the interim, please consider
this email an acknowledgement of your request.
Acknowledgement of FOI request
You have requested access to:
“…All active Memorandum of Understanding, Heads of Agreement, Data Sharing
Agreements, and Service Contracts that result in the sharing of veteran
data, even if de-identified. I am looking for similar documents for
programs and agreements that ceased within the last 10 years or are still
active.”
Your request has been allocated the reference number LEX 853. Please
include this reference number in all correspondence relating to your FOI
request.
Timeframe for request
Your request was received by the department on 31 October 2023, and under
section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act the 30-day statutory period for processing
your request commenced from the day after that date. A decision on your
request was therefore due by 30 November 2023, and your request was deemed
to be refused on that date. As outlined above, the department will apply
to the OAIC to bring your request back into statutory timeframes, and
notify you once a new due date is known. In the meantime, the department
will continue to progress your request.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[5][FOI #10819 email]. Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Charges
The department will advise you if a charge is payable to process your
request and the amount of any such charge as soon as practicable. No
charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Irrelevant material
To the extent the department has documents in its possession that fall
within the scope of your request, we will treat the following types of
material as irrelevant in accordance with section 22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI
Act:
o any duplicate documents
o drafts where there is a final version available
o documents that are publicly available
o the names, signatures, position titles, staff identification numbers
and direct contact details of Commonwealth staff.
If any of the above material falls within the scope of your request, it
will be excluded, unless you tell us otherwise by 7 December 2023.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[6][email address].
Yours sincerely
Rebecca
Authorised Decision Maker
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[7]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
-----Original Message-----
From: Trent Morrison-Francis
<[8][FOI #10819 email]>
Sent: Monday, December 4, 2023 3:08 PM
To: DEWR - FOI <[9][DEWR request email]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - FOI Request: Access to Data
Sharing Agreements and Related Documents
**************************************************************************
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organisation. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know
the content is safe.
**************************************************************************
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
This has not been responded to such should I deem this as a deemed
refusal.
Yours faithfully,
Trent Morrison-Francis
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[10][FOI #10819 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[11]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dewr.gov.au/
2. mailto:[DEWR request email]
3. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
4. mailto:[DEWR request email]
5. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
6. mailto:[email address]
7. https://www.dewr.gov.au/
8. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
9. mailto:[DEWR request email]
10. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
11. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Our reference: RQ23/06223
Agency reference: LEX 853
Mr Morrison-Francis
Sent by email: [1][FOI #10819 email]
Extension of time application by the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis
I write to advise that on 15 December 2023, the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (the OAIC) received an application from the
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (the Agency) for an
extension of time to process your FOI request of 31 October 2023.
The Agency has applied for an extension of time under s 15AC of the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) because a decision on your FOI
request was not made by 30 November 2023.
The Agency has advised the OAIC that:
The Agency has requested an extension to 22 December 2023. The decision
maker will take any comments you may have to make into account when
deciding the application.
Please respond to this email by close of business 18 December 2023. Please
do not hesitate to contact us before this date should you require further
time to provide your response. If I do not hear from you by this date, the
decision maker will proceed to make a decision on the basis of the
information provided to the OAIC by the Agency.
You will be notified of the decision once the matter has been finalised.
Further information about extension of time requests may be found on our
website at [2]Extensions of time.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact me on 1300 363 992 or via email
at [3][email address]. Please quote OAIC reference: RQ23/06223 in all
correspondence.
Yours sincerely
[4][IMG] Hannah Holswilder
Director, Freedom of Information Branch
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Adelaide | GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
E [5][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[6]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #10819 email]
2. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
Our reference: RQ23/06223
Agency reference: LEX 853
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Trent Morrison-Francis
Extension of time under s 15AC
Dear Parties,
Please find attached an extension of time decision relating to the above
referenced FOI request.
Regards,
[1][IMG] Hannah Holswilder
Director, Freedom of Information Branch
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Adelaide | GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
E [2][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[3]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
Dear Mr Morrison-Francis
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
Kind regards
Rebecca
Authorised Decision Maker
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[1]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dewr.gov.au/