Independent report into allegations by veterans of DVA offender framing
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
BACKGROUND:
Several veterans have written to DVA’s Teena Blewitt following complaints that DVA, “engages in stalking and invasion of veterans privacy.” Her response in part said, “I can confirm an independent review of the work undertaken by the Security and Property Branch has been undertaken following your correspondence……..”
INFORMATION I AM SEEKING UNDER FOI:
I require, in full, the independent review that DVA’s Teena Blewitt was referring to in her correspondence to several veterans.
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
Dear Mr Ashmore,
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (the department) has received your
request for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act). I note you have requested access to the following:
BACKGROUND:
Several veterans have written to DVA's Teena Blewitt following complaints
that DVA, "engages in stalking and invasion of veterans privacy." Her
response in part said, "I can confirm an independent review of the work
undertaken by the Security and Property Branch has been undertaken
following your correspondence."
'INFORMATION I AM SEEKING UNDER FOI:
I require, in full, the independent review that DVA's Teena Blewitt was
referring to in her correspondence to several veterans.
Your request was received by the department on 17 May 2024 and the
ordinary 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date.
If we are in a position to make a decision on your request earlier than
this date, we will endeavour to do so.
The statutory period may also be extended if we need to consult third
parties or for other reasons permitted under the FOI Act. We will advise
you if this happens.
Charges
If the Department considers that a charge will apply to your request, you
will be notified within 14 days of an estimate of the charges that will
apply to your request for non-personal information before we process any
requested documents or impose a final charge.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your contact address is
[1][FOI #11422 email] . Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
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.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email]
Kind Regards
Arthur Information Access Registrations Officer
Position Number – 62341836
Information Access Unit
Client and Information Access Branch
Ministerial, Engagement & Communications Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[3][DVA request email]
[4]www.dva.gov.au
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References
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Dear Mr Ashmore
Thank you for your request for information under the FOI Act 1982,
received by the Department on 17 May 2024.
Please find attached the Decision Letter and the requested documents.
We will now close this inquiry.
Kind regards,
Zoey| Senior Information Access Officer
Position Number: 62214764
Information Access Unit
Client and Information Access Branch
Ministerial, Communication & Engagement Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
P: 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
E: [1][DVA request email]
W: [2]www.dva.gov.au
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[DVA request email]
2. http://www.dva.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
4. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
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6. https://www.youtube.com/@DVATVAus/featured
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans' Affairs' handling of my FOI request 'Independent report into allegations by veterans of DVA offender framing'.
I received the May 2019 Moss Report and note this damming report on DVA is the first time this report has ever been published, is an old document and not the 2024 independent investigation DVA's Teena Blewitt was referring to at the July Senate Estimates.
What DVA's Teena Blewitt referred to at Senate Estimates was the "independent investigation" by a senior DVA staff member into DVA's Rodger McNally's 'offender framing' affidavit of 2023, investigation conducted in 2024.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/i...
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
Dear Mr Ashmore,
I write to inform you that your internal review request received on 26
August 2023 (registered as LEX 69860) which requested a review of LEX
67613 is an invalid request and will not be processed by the Department.
As the primary decision was made outside the statutory time frame and was
not brought back into time with a s15AC extension of time from the OAIC,
there is no internal review pathway available to you for this request.
Please see Part 9 of the FOI guidelines. Specifically paragraph 9.10 in
the link below.
[1]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
In accordance with section 15AC of the FOI Act, the principal officer of
the Department is taken to have made a decision personally refusing to
give access to the documents on the last day of the initial decision
period. Even where a decision has not been issued within the prescribed
timeframe, the Department retains an obligation to process and finalise
the FOI request. I would like to apologise for the delay in issuing the
original decision to you and any inconvenience it may have caused.
You can lodge an Information Commissioner review via the following
pathways:
OAIC review
Under section 54L of the FOI Act, you may apply to the OAIC to review my
decision. An application for review by OAIC must be made in writing within
60 days of the date of the primary decision, and be lodged in one of the
following ways:
Online: [2]www.oaic.gov.au
Post: Director of FOI Dispute Resolution
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
Facsimile: (02) 9284 9666
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: [3][email address]
Kind regards
Jodie | Assistant Director
Position Number: 62210588
Information Access Unit
Client and Information Access Branch
Ministerial, Communication & Engagement Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[4][DVA request email]
[5]www.dva.gov.au
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References
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1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. http://www.oaic.gov.au/
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[DVA request email]
5. http://www.dva.gov.au/
6. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
7. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
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9. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus