In re an article by the Prime Minister in the Weekend Australian

Mark R. Diamond made this Freedom of Information request to Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Mark R. Diamond

FOI Contact Person
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
PO Box 6500
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear FOI Person,

Request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
In re: An article by the Prime Minister in the Weekend Australian
---------------------------------------------------------------

The name of the Prime Minister appears on the byline of an article published with the headline "Let's ensure no child is left behind" on page 7 of the "Your School" supplement to the Weekend Australian newspaper of June 1-2, 2013. It appears that the article was an invited piece.

I request a copy of the correspondence between the newspaper and the PM, or between the newspaper and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet more generally, relating to the invitation to the PM to write the article. I particularly request a copy of: (i) the initial invitation, to whomever it was addressed, (ii) a copy of the final acceptance or agreement by the Prime Minister to write the article, (iii) a copy of the terms, if any, on which the article was agreed to be written and (iv) a copy of the covering correspondence to the newspaper that accompanied the final copy of the article. I realise that some of these documents, for example ii and iii, might turn out to be the same document and not distinct documents.

Yours faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

FOI, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

1 Attachment

FOI/2013/058

 

Dear Mr Diamond

 

Thank you for your email of 1 June 2013, received by the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department) in which you made a request
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 in the following terms:

 

The name of the Prime Minister appears on the byline of an article
published with the headline "Let's ensure no child is left behind" on page
7 of the "Your School" supplement to the Weekend Australian newspaper of
June 1-2, 2013.  It appears that the article was an invited piece.

I request a copy of the correspondence between the newspaper and the PM,
or between the newspaper and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
more generally, relating to the invitation to the PM to write the article.
I particularly request a copy of: (i) the initial invitation, to whomever
it was addressed, (ii) a copy of the final acceptance or agreement by the
Prime Minister to write the article, (iii) a copy of the terms, if any, on
which the article was agreed to be written and (iv) a copy of the covering
correspondence to the newspaper that accompanied the final copy of the
article. I realise that some of these documents, for example ii and iii,
might turn out to be the same document and not distinct documents.

 

Timeframe for receiving your decision

 

The statutory timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the date
upon which your application was received by the Department except in
certain circumstances in which case we will notify you of the time
extension.

 

Removal of officer’s details

 

It is the Department’s policy to withhold the names and contact details of
junior officers within the Department and other agencies contained within
documents that fall within scope of the request.  The names and details of
senior departmental staff would not be withheld unless there were some
reason for that information to be exempt from release.  If you require the
names and contact details of junior officers please let us know at
[1][DPMC request email] for the decision-maker to consider; otherwise we will
take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope
of your request.

 

Publication of documents

 

In accordance with the Government’s pro-disclosure policy agencies are
required to publish information which has been released under FOI on the
agencies’ disclosure logs.  If you wish to raise any objections to the
publication of any of the documents which may be released to you please
contact the Department by email at [2][DPMC request email].  Supporting reasons
for any objection would be appreciated.

 

Charges

 

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of a request for access to documents.  If the Department decides that you
are liable to pay charges, we will forward a preliminary assessment of
charges to you as soon as possible.

 

The Department will write again when we have further information. 
Otherwise, further information on FOI processing can be found at the
website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at
[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_....

 

Regards

 

FOI Adviser

Legal Policy Branch

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

 

Phone: 02 6271 5849

Email: [4][DPMC request email]

 

[5]Description: Description: Description: FOI design element

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References

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1. mailto:[DPMC request email]
2. mailto:[DPMC request email]
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_...
4. mailto:[DPMC request email]

FOI, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Diamond

 

Please see attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request with
the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – reference FOI/2013/058.

 

Regards

 

FOI Adviser

Legal Policy Branch

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

 

Phone: 02 6271 5849

Email: [1][DPMC request email]

 

[2]Description: Description: Description: FOI design element

 

 

 

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References

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1. mailto:[DPMC request email]

Mark R. Diamond

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Attention: M. Croke
PO Box 6500
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Ms Croke,

Your reference: FOI/2013/058

Many thanks for your reply. I greatly appreciate the effort that you went to in seeking to satisfy my FOI request. I also appreciate the on-time decision, even though it has resulted in your (necessary) refusal of my application under section 24A(1)(b)(ii).

Given what you have said about more likely places in which to find the information I am seeking, I shall telephone your office in the next few days in the hope that you might be able to suggest an alternative approach.

You have another request from me related to an article written by the Prime Minister this year, as opposed to 2012. It might also make sense for me to withdraw that request given the inforamtion that you have provided in response to this one. Again, it is something I shall discuss with your office.

Your faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

Mark R. Diamond left an annotation ()

I have made a slight mistake in this letter. I mention another application relating to "this year, as opposed to 2012". In fact, this request relates to this year (2013), and it is the othe request (http://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/ar...) that relates to 2012.