Latest WhatsApp Message
Dear Minister for Home Affairs,
This is a request under the FOI Act.
Can you please provide the latest WhatsApp message sent by the Minister, including who it was sent to, when it was sent and the content of the message.
Yours faithfully,
Jackson Gothe-Snape
** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **
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General information regarding travelling to Australia
Information for visitors to Australia can be found [1]here.
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You should submit [17]Form 1023 to the Department. Details of our offices
located around the world can be found [18]here. The FOI Section does not
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Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [19]here.
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Thank you
Information updated 13 November 2018
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References
Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi
2. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1
3. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/immiaccount
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/form-lis...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
7. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
8. https://www.mara.gov.au/
9. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
10. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
11. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi
12. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
15. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
16. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
17. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
18. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
19. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
20. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Gothe-Snape
FOI request FA 18/11/00692
I refer to your FOI request received on 13 November 2018.
Please find attached the decision record.
This request has now been closed.
With kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
FOI, Privacy and Records Management Branch
Productivity and Compliance Division | Corporate and Enabling Group
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Minister for Home Affairs request email]
UNCLASSIFIED
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this email.
Locutus Sum left an annotation ()
The decision that I was thinking about is Parnell and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport [2011] AICmr 3 (11 April 2011). The Information Commissioner says:
"The decision under review is the decision made on behalf of the Minister, reported to Mr Parnell on 17 November 2010, to refuse to respond to Mr Parnell’s request, on the basis that the documents sought were not covered by the FOI Act. The Department characterised this decision as being ‘an administrative response’ and not ‘a formal decision under the FOI Act’.[1] If Mr Parnell’s request was not valid, because the documents sought were not covered by the FOI Act, then there was no IC reviewable decision for the purposes of Part VII of the Act. However, it is well established that it is within the power of a merit review body to decide whether its own jurisdiction has been enlivened.[2] Accordingly, I can consider whether Mr Parnell’s request was validly made under the FOI Act and, if it was, conduct an IC review of the decision to refuse access. As explained in [14] below, a personal reference signed by a minister can be a ministerial document for the purposes of the FOI Act. Accordingly the Minister’s decision was ‘a decision refusing to give access to a document in accordance with a request’ and was, therefore, an access refusal decision (s 53A(a)). Access refusal decisions are IC reviewable decisions for the purposes of Part VII of the FOI Act (ss 54K(a) and 54L)."
Locutus Sum left an annotation ()
The agency has replied and said that the application is not a valid request under the FOI Act. Because it is not (according to the agency) a valid request, they believe that the decision by the agency to ignore the request (they say "this request is now closed") is not a reviewable decision so they did not bother to tell the applicant about his review rights. However, the Information Commissioner has previously decided that ANY decision to refuse an applicant's request for documents is an "access refusal decision" under the Act. This includes a decision that an application was not valid. So, the applicant could have asked for IC review if he wanted to do this. It is not too late to make an application for IC review but he could make the same request as before to the agency and when the agency again says the application is not valid, then he can ask for IC review.
I cannot today remember exactly which IC review contains the decision I have described but if you cannot find it yourself, please contact me and I will get it quickly.