Illumination of Parliament House
Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
I am looking for the following document related to the Australian Governments decision to illuminate Parliament House in blue and white. Specifically, the illumination as referred to in the Joint Statement by the Presiding Officers found in this link: https://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/J...
What I am looking for is:
- Any and all documents including, but not limited to, meeting minutes, correspondence, talking points and file notes that relate to the decision to illuminate the Australian Parliament House.
- Any and all documents that relate to the costs associated with the illumination of the Australian Parliament House in blue and white
- Any and all documents that including communications or correspondence with a foreign government, foreign or domestic organisations, foreign or domestic individuals either requesting, encouraging or suggesting that the Australian Parliament House be illuminated in blue and white.
Yours faithfully,
Moe
OFFICIAL
Dear Moe
The purpose of this email is to inform you that the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) does not hold records relating to your
request. Rather, the Department of Parliamentary Services would be the
correct agency to respond to your request and we understand they are
considering a request of this nature, made by you through Right to Know.
We have consulted across the PM&C on the nature of your request and can
advise that the PM&C do not hold records within the terms of your request,
therefore we seek your agreement to withdraw this FOI request from our
agency.
If you agree to withdraw your request to PM&C please write to us at
[1][DPMC request email] to confirm. Your advice by Wednesday 25 October 2023 is
appreciated. If we do not hear from you we will proceed to issue a
decision.
Yours sincerely
Janelle
Adviser | FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [2][email address] w. [3]pmc.gov.au
[4]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[5]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[6]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your email.
I would have thought the department would be made aware, if not directly involved in the illumination of Parliament House and have associated documents. Given your email, can you please advise me on how to put an FOI in to the Prime Ministers office?
In the interim, I would appreciate you to continue to process this FOI request and provide me with a formal decision.
Yours sincerely,
Moe
OFFICIAL
Dear Moe,
Thank you for your email.
I note your request was seeking access to any records that went to the
'decision'; 'costs; and 'correspondence with a foreign government
...foreign or domestic organisations ...foreign or domestic individuals..
either requesting, encouraging or suggesting…'. When we conducted our
inquiries we asked for advice on these terms. However your email of 22
October 2023 indicates that you may be looking for a broader set of
documents.
In light of this additional information we would be grateful if you can
confirm if you would like to revise the terms of your request to seek
access to any records of communication to PM&C about the illumination of
Parliament House, it may be of assistance for you to consider including a
timeframe for documents requested; or consider excluding items of
correspondence from members of the public who may have written to PM&C.
Your confirmation and clarification of the request would be greatly
appreciated, and we will continue with the processing of this request.
Please provide your further advice by Wednesday 25 October 2023.
With respect to your inquiry on how to make a FOI request to the Prime
Minister, you can submit a new request addressed to the Prime Minister
through the Department’s FOI mailbox, alternatively I believe the Right to
Know website has the Prime Minister as a separate entity that you can
select.
Yours sincerely
Janelle
Adviser | FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
Dear FOI,
The time frame requested is from the 7 - 9 October 2023 inclusive
Yours sincerely,
Moe
OFFICIAL
Departmental reference: FOI/2023/297
Dear Moe,
We write in relation to your request dated 14 October 2023, made to the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982, in the following terms:
I am looking for the following document related to the Australian
Governments decision to illuminate Parliament House in blue and white.
Specifically, the illumination as referred to in the Joint Statement by
the Presiding Officers found in this link:
https://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/J...
What I am looking for is:
- Any and all documents including, but not limited to, meeting minutes,
correspondence, talking points and file notes that relate to the decision
to illuminate the Australian Parliament House.
- Any and all documents that relate to the costs associated with the
illumination of the Australian Parliament House in blue and white
- Any and all documents that including communications or correspondence
with a foreign government, foreign or domestic organisations, foreign or
domestic individuals either requesting, encouraging or suggesting that the
Australian Parliament House be illuminated in blue and white.
Request for extension of time
The current due date for a decision on this request is 13 November 2023.
Regrettably, the Department is not in a position to finalise the decision
by the due date and requires additional time. The FOI team is currently
consulting an external agency on documents relevant to your request.
Accordingly, we are seeking your agreement to a 14-day extension of time
under section 15AA of the FOI Act. This will bring the new due date to 27
November 2023 and preserve your internal review rights. We are aiming to
provide you with a decision prior to the extended due date, if
possible. The additional time will be used to finalise the consultation
and prepare a decision under the FOI Act.
If you agree to the 14-day extension of time, it would be appreciated if
you could confirm your agreement in writing by 4pm Monday, 13 November
2023.
Kind regards,
Tina
Adviser | FOI Section
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.p...
OFFICIAL
Dear Moe,
We write to follow-up on our extension of time request below.
We can advise the request has progressed and we anticipate a decision on
access will be made by 20 November 2023.
It would be appreciated if you would consider providing an extension of
time to Monday 20 November 2023. If you agree, it would be appreciated if
you could respond by 4pm today. By agreeing to an extension of time, your
internal review rights will be preserved.
Kind regards
Tina | Adviser
FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 8 November 2023 2:15 PM
To: [FOI #10754 email]
Cc: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: PM&C - FOI/2023/297 - Request for 14-day extension of time
[SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
Departmental reference: FOI/2023/297
Dear Moe,
We write in relation to your request dated 14 October 2023, made to the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982, in the following terms:
I am looking for the following document related to the Australian
Governments decision to illuminate Parliament House in blue and white.
Specifically, the illumination as referred to in the Joint Statement by
the Presiding Officers found in this link:
[6]https://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/J...
What I am looking for is:
- Any and all documents including, but not limited to, meeting minutes,
correspondence, talking points and file notes that relate to the decision
to illuminate the Australian Parliament House.
- Any and all documents that relate to the costs associated with the
illumination of the Australian Parliament House in blue and white
- Any and all documents that including communications or correspondence
with a foreign government, foreign or domestic organisations, foreign or
domestic individuals either requesting, encouraging or suggesting that the
Australian Parliament House be illuminated in blue and white.
Request for extension of time
The current due date for a decision on this request is 13 November 2023.
Regrettably, the Department is not in a position to finalise the decision
by the due date and requires additional time. The FOI team is currently
consulting an external agency on documents relevant to your request.
Accordingly, we are seeking your agreement to a 14-day extension of time
under section 15AA of the FOI Act. This will bring the new due date to 27
November 2023 and preserve your internal review rights. We are aiming to
provide you with a decision prior to the extended due date, if
possible. The additional time will be used to finalise the consultation
and prepare a decision under the FOI Act.
If you agree to the 14-day extension of time, it would be appreciated if
you could confirm your agreement in writing by 4pm Monday, 13 November
2023.
Kind regards,
Tina
Adviser | FOI Section
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [7][email address] w. [8]pmc.gov.au
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.pmc.gov.au/
3. https://twitter.com/pmc_gov_au
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/departm...
6. https://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/J...
7. mailto:[email address]
8. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.p...
Dear FOI,
Thanks for your email.
I approve the extension of time request.
Yours sincerely,
Moe
OFFICIAL
Departmental reference: FOI/2023/297
Dear Moe,
Please see the attached correspondence regarding your Freedom of
Information request.
Kind Regards,
Tina
Adviser | FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.pmc.gov.au/
3. https://twitter.com/pmc_gov_au
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/departm...
Dear FOI,
Are you able to check to see if all documents have been found.
I find it hard to believe that the only time the Prime Minister was made aware of this was after the decision had already been made to illuminate Parliament House.
Yours sincerely,
Moe
OFFICIAL
FOI/2023/297IR
Dear Moe
We write in relation to your email of 22 November 2023 (below), in which
you made a request for an internal review of the Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet’s (the Department) decision in FOI/2023/297, made on
20 November 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).
We understand you are seeking internal review of the decision for parts 2
and 3 of your request – being a decision to refuse access to under
subsection 24A(1) of the FOI Act on grounds the Department has taken all
reasonable steps to locate the documents requested and those documents do
not exist.
Timeframe for receiving your internal review decision
We received your request for internal review on 22 November 2023 and the
30-day statutory period for internal review commenced from the day after
that date. You should therefore expect the internal review decision from
us by 22 December 2023.
Further information on FOI processing can be found at the website of the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
[1]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor....
Kind regards
Coordinator
FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [2][email address] w. [3]pmc.gov.au
[4]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
OFFICIAL
PM&C ref: FOI/2023/297IR
Dear Moe
Please find attached decision from the Department of the Prime Minister
and Cabinet in relation to your request for internal review.
A document schedule and documents released to you are also attached.
Yours sincerely,
Alicia
Adviser | FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country | One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.pmc.gov.au/