Records of inter agency meetings held on 17 July 2013, 29 October 2013 and 5 November 2013 on the Open Government Partnership.

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UNCLASSIFIED
14/3641

5 March 2014

Mr Peter Timmins
Email:[FOI #552 email]

Dear Mr Timmins

Freedom of Information Request no. FOI14/037

I refer to your request for access to documents relating to Open Government Partnership under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. I have taken your request to be for:

Access to the record of each of the inter agency meetings on the Open Government Partnership held on 17 July 2013, 29 October 2013, and 5 November 2013, dates meetings were held as indicated by Senator Brandis in Senate estimates, and of any subsequent inter agency meeting or meetings.

If you disagree with our interpretation of your request, please let me know as soon as possible.

We received your request on 5 March 2014 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date. You should therefore expect a decision from us by 4 April 2014. The period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

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FOI Contact Officer

Freedom of Information and Privacy Section | Office of Corporate Counsel Attorney-General's Department | 3 - 5 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600
Email: [AGD request email]

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Timmins [mailto:[FOI #552 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 5 March 2014 12:06 PM
To: FOI Requests
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Records of inter agency meetings held on 17 July 2013, 29 October 2013 and 5 November 2013 on the Open Government Partnership.

Dear Attorney-General's Department,

I am seeking access to the record of each of the inter agency meetings on the Open Government Partnership held on 17 July 2013, 29 October 2013, and 5 November 2013, dates meetings were held as indicated by Senator Brandis in Senate estimates, and of any subsequent inter agency meeting or meetings.

Please treat this request for specific documents as an administrative access request of the kind suggested in guidance from the Office Of Australian information Commissioner.

If you are unable to deal with the request in that way please treat it as an application under the Freedom of Information Act.

If this proves necessary I seek waiver of any charges on public interest grounds, noting the announcement of the decision of intention to join the OGP in May 2013,the limited public references to the initiative in the period since, the potential for transparency and scrutiny to encourage efficient public administration, and if access is granted, the contribution disclosure of the records would make to informed public discussion about the way Australian democratic practices could be improved.

My address for the service of notices is this email address.

Thank you in anticipation.

Peter Timmins.

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UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Timmins

Re: AGD FOI matter no. FOI 14/037

I refer to your FOI request of 5 March 2014 with the Attorney-General's Department.

Please consider this e-mail as ‘notice of partial-transfer of request’ in accordance with section 16(4) of the FOI Act.

PARTIAL-TRANSFER TO FINANCE
On 19 March 2014, part of your FOI request (specifically, the terms regarding Meeting No. 2 of 29/10/2013) were partially-transferred to the Department of Finance (Finance) under section 16 of the FOI Act, as the documents are not in the possession of this department, and are, to our knowledge, in the possession of Finance, as Finance co-chaired Meeting No. 2 and the subject-matter of the documents are more closely connected with Finance. The terms of your FOI request transferred to Finance, include: ‘the record of each of the inter agency meetings on the Open Government Partnership held on ... 29 October 2013, dates meetings were held as indicated by Senator Brandis in Senate estimates, and of any subsequent inter agency meeting or meetings’.

POINTS OF CONTACT AT FINANCE
To discuss your FOI request with Finance, please e-mail [email address] or call the FOI Coordinator on (02) 6215 1783.

REMAINING FOI REQUEST WITH AGD
Following partial transfer to Finance, your remaining FOI request with AGD concerns OGP meeting no. 1 and 3 documents. The department’s decision is due by cob Friday 4 April 2014.

With regards,

AGD FOI & Privacy
[AGD request email]