Attn Department of Veterans' Affairs,
The recent interim report of the Royal Commission in Defence and Veteran Suicide was critical about DVA's "lack of transparency", especially in the way DVA deals (or more often, does not deal) with requests for official information held by DVA.
Because of this interim finding, this issue is now one of public interest.
One way the public can consider the DVA performance here is to review the LEX reports (the system DVA uses to record and track such requests for official information) DVA holds.
Scope is the first 100 pages of the LEX reports that were first created (not counting those that were added to) in June 2022.
Personal information of private individuals and private companies who are not employees of DVA is out of scope.
Verity Pane
Dear Ms Pane
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:
The recent interim report of the Royal Commission in Defence and Veteran
Suicide was critical about DVA's "lack of transparency", especially in the
way DVA deals (or more often, does not deal) with requests for official
information held by DVA.
Because of this interim finding, this issue is now one of public interest.
One way the public can consider the DVA performance here is to review the
LEX reports (the system DVA uses to record and track such requests for
official information) DVA holds.
Scope is the first 100 pages of the LEX reports that were first created
(not counting those that were added to) in June 2022.
Personal information of private individuals and private companies who are
not employees of DVA is out of scope.
Your request was received by the department on 27 August 2022 and the
ordinary 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date.
Charges
The Department will notify you 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 electronic address is
[1][FOI #9316 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.
Request to treat certain material as out of scope or irrelevant to the
request
To the extent the department has documents in its possession that fall
within the scope of your request, we intend to treat the following
information as out of scope or irrelevant to your request, pursuant to
section 22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act:
1. The surnames, signatures and direct contact details of non-SES
Commonwealth employees and contractors, including clinical staff working
for Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling; and
2. The signatures of third party individuals.
If you agree to the department treating these details as irrelevant,
please advise by 16 September 2022.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email]
Yours sincerely
Arthur
Position Number 62210944
Information Access Officer
Information Access Unit
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Email: [3][email address]
[4]cid:image001.png@01D4D4DC.79DB5D20
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #9316 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
Attn INFORMATION.ACCESS.PREVENTION,
I stated "Personal information of private individuals and private companies who are not employees of DVA is out of scope."
You cannot substitute that s 22 exemption with your own words. Your substitution is refused.
Verity Pane
Good afternoon Ms Pane,
Please see attached the no documents decision for LEX 51545.
Regards
Brett (Position Number 62258141)
Assistant Director
Information Access Unit
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
“DVA is committed to supporting veterans and their families. We all
deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect. We ask that you treat us
the same way”.
DVA has arrangements in place for staff to work at home as much as
possible to contribute to the Nation’s agenda to minimise social
interaction and support social distancing. To assist us it would be
appreciated if you could communicate with me via email using this address
[email address]
Attn Brett,
Pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews to perform internal review of the Department of Veterans' Affairs's decision in LEX 51545.
The claim by Brett that no LEX documents exist is one intentionally made by Brett as a false representation given s 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Such documents have been "found" by DVA before in LEX 49383 as one of the most recent examples here on Right to Know so this false claim by Brett that such documents cannot be found is bullshit.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/l...
Verity Pane
Dear Ms Pane
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (the department) has received your
request for Internal Review of the Department’s decision (LEX 51545) under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). Your internal review
request reads as follows:
“Pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews to
perform internal review of the Department of Veterans' Affairs's decision
in LEX 51545.
The claim by Brett that no LEX documents exist is one intentionally made
by Brett as a false representation given s 17 of the Freedom of
Information Act 1982. Such documents have been "found" by DVA before in
LEX 49383 as one of the most recent examples here on Right to Know so this
false claim by Brett that such documents cannot be found is bullshit.”
Your request for Internal Review was received by the department on 1
October 2022 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your request
commenced from the day after that date.
Where possible, your request for Internal Review will be handled by an FOI
officer authorised decision-maker who was not involved in the original
decision.
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 #9316 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].
Regards
Fiona
Position Number: 62211034
Registrations Officer
Information Access Unit
Department of Veterans' Affairs / Sydney Office
Part time days: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Phone: 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) / GPO Box 9998 Brisbane QLD 4001
[3][DVA request email] / [4]www.dva.gov.au
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[DVA request email]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
Dear Ms Pane
Thank you for your Information Access request to the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (Department) – LEX 53980.
Please find the Department’s Internal Review decision attached.
Kind regards
Ramona
Assistant Director
Position Number: 62336362
Information Access Unit | Client Access and Rehabilitation Branch
Department of Veterans' Affairs
GPO Box 9998 Canberra ACT 2600 | 21 Genge St Canberra City ACT 2601
[1]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0
References
Visible links
Verity Pane left an annotation ()
There are a number of DVA foi decisions that have given access to LEX reports for foi applications received/processed by DVA.
DVA in its decision and internal review decision on this page however claim no LEX reports of foi applications exist at all. A ridiculously false claim that know very well to be untrue - the evidence of their existence is on many fois here on Right to Know as documents released by DVA.
FOI IC review.