Thank you for your email, which has been forwarded to the Department’s FOI
Team for their consideration. A member of the FOI Team will respond to
your email in the next couple of days.

 

Kind regards

 

FOI Coordinator

 

OFFICIAL

 

Dear Mr Squiggle

 

Freedom of Information Request – FOI 24-25/104

Thank you for your email to the Department of Finance (Finance) requesting
access to the following documents under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act):

 

I request the following documents under the FOI Act, for any departmental
official or agency head who currently holds membership to either Qantas'
Chairman's Lounge or Virgin's Beyond lounge:

 

1. For each individual holding membership, detail of the membership they
hold (ie. the airline they hold a membership for), their total number of
flights and total expenditure, by airline, for the most recent available
12 month period (only flights funded by the department)

 

2. Any documents that detail any assessments made as to the 'estimated
value' of these memberships (including those made by the individuals, or
the department).

 

3. Any documents that detail any reasons for accepting (or declining)
invitations to these exclusive airline lounges.

 

4. Any documents that are requests for advice from these individuals, or
advice given to these individuals, that touch on whether the memberships
are in accordance with applicable policies in relation to conflict of
interest, gifts, etc.

 

Request for assistance/withdrawal of request

Estimates of government expenditure are referred to Senate committees as
part of the annual budget cycle. This opportunity to examine the
operations of government plays a key role in the parliamentary scrutiny of
the executive.

 

Government portfolios are spread across eight Senate committees for the
consideration of estimates. The “Finance and Public Administration”
committee considers Finance expenditure. Reports, transcripts and videos
on past proceedings can be found on the committee estimates pages:
[1]Finance and Public Administration – Parliament of Australia

 

Finance has previously answered a similar Senate Question on Notice from
Senator Pocock (F146) in the 2024-25 Supplementary budget estimates. We
have attached the question and answer for your reference. If you consider
the attachment and response meets your request, we invite you to withdraw
your request.

 

We kindly ask that you reply to this email and either:

o Withdraw your request, or
o Request a formal decision letter.

 

Please note that if we do not receive a response from you, we are required
under the FOI Act to expend additional resources to process your request.

 

We appreciate your assistance in this matter.

 

General FOI matters

Your request was received by Finance on 3 February 2025. The statutory
period for processing your request commences from the day after Finance
received your request and a decision is due on Wednesday 5 March 2025.

 

The processing period may be extended if we need to consult third parties,
impose a charge or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

 

Liability to pay a charge

You will be notified of any charges in relation to your request as soon as
possible, before we process any requested documents or impose a final
charge.

 

Publication

As required by the FOI Act, any documents provided to you under the FOI
Act will be published on our [2]disclosure log, unless an exemption
applies or the documents are characterised as containing personal
information. Documents will be published the next working day after they
are released to you.

 

Policy to exclude junior officer contact details, signatures and mobile
phone numbers

Finance has adopted a policy to generally exclude from any documents
released under FOI, the names and contact details of junior staff (non-SES
officers) and staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act
1984 (adviser level and below). Finance has also adopted a policy to
exclude signatures and mobile phone numbers from any documents released
under FOI (unless publicly available). Finance’s preference is to reach
agreement with FOI applicants to exclude these details from the scope of
the request. Where there is no objection, the names and contact details of
junior officers, as well as any signatures and mobile phone numbers
appearing in identified documents, will be redacted under section 22 of
the FOI Act on the basis that these details are irrelevant to the request.

 

Please contact the FOI Team on the below contact details if you wish to
discuss your request.

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Officer | Legal and Assurance Branch

Business Enabling Services

Department of Finance

A: One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus...
2. https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/free...

Thank you for your email, which has been forwarded to the Department’s FOI
Team for their consideration. A member of the FOI Team will respond to
your email in the next couple of days.

 

Kind regards

 

FOI Coordinator

 

OFFICIAL

 

Dear Mr Squiggle

 

Freedom of Information Request – FOI 24-25/104

Thank you for confirming the Senate Question on Notice from Senator Pocock
(F146) in the 2024-25 Supplementary budget estimates satisfies part 1 of
your request, and agreeing to withdraw it.

 

We will now process the remaining parts 2, 3 and 4 of your request:

2.  Any documents that detail any assessments made as to the 'estimated
value' of these memberships (including those made by the individuals, or
the department).

3. Any documents that detail any reasons for accepting (or declining)
invitations to these exclusive airline lounges.

4. Any documents that are requests for advice from these individuals, or
advice given to these individuals, that touch on whether the memberships
are in accordance with applicable policies in relation to conflict of
interest, gifts, etc.

 

Request for assistance

We seek further clarity regarding the time period of the documents you are
seeking. We have interpreted the time period of your request as the most
recent 12-month period, that is 3 February 2024 – 3 February 2025?

 

We kindly ask that you reply this email by to confirm the time period, or
propose an alternate time period. Please note that if we do not receive a
response from you, we will proceed to process your request on the most
recent 12-month period.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Officer | Legal and Assurance Branch

Business Enabling Services

Department of Finance

A: One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mr Squiggle <[FOI #12808 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 11 February 2025 8:04 PM
To: FOI Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 24-25/104 - Acknowledgement and request for withdrawal of
request [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

[You don't often get email from
[1][FOI #12808 email]. Learn why this is
important at [2]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear FOI Officer,

 

 

 

Thank you for your email and for bringing to my attention the answer to
Senate Question on Notice from Senator Pocock (F146) in the 2024-25
Supplementary budget estimates.

 

 

 

The information provided to the QoN sufficiently answers part 1 of my
request so I am happy to remove that from scope of this request.

 

 

 

If you could please continue to process points 2-4 of my request that
would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Mr Squiggle

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

 

 

 

OFFICIAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr Squiggle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom of Information Request – FOI 24-25/104

 

 

 

Thank you for your email to the Department of Finance (Finance) requesting

 

access to the following documents under the Freedom of Information Act

 

1982 (FOI Act):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I request the following documents under the FOI Act, for any departmental

 

official or agency head who currently holds membership to either Qantas'

 

Chairman's Lounge or Virgin's Beyond lounge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. For each individual holding membership, detail of the membership they

 

hold (ie. the airline they hold a membership for), their total number of

 

flights and total expenditure, by airline, for the most recent available

 

12 month period (only flights funded by the department)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Any documents that detail any assessments made as to the 'estimated

 

value' of these memberships (including those made by the individuals, or

 

the department).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Any documents that detail any reasons for accepting (or declining)

 

invitations to these exclusive airline lounges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Any documents that are requests for advice from these individuals, or

 

advice given to these individuals, that touch on whether the memberships

 

are in accordance with applicable policies in relation to conflict of

 

interest, gifts, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Request for assistance/withdrawal of request

 

 

 

Estimates of government expenditure are referred to Senate committees as

 

part of the annual budget cycle. This opportunity to examine the

 

operations of government plays a key role in the parliamentary scrutiny of

 

the executive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Government portfolios are spread across eight Senate committees for the

 

consideration of estimates. The “Finance and Public Administration”

 

committee considers Finance expenditure. Reports, transcripts and videos

 

on past proceedings can be found on the committee estimates pages:

 

[1]Finance and Public Administration – Parliament of Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance has previously answered a similar Senate Question on Notice from

 

Senator Pocock (F146) in the 2024-25 Supplementary budget estimates. We

 

have attached the question and answer for your reference. If you consider

 

the attachment and response meets your request, we invite you to withdraw

 

your request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We kindly ask that you reply to this email and either:

 

 

 

o Withdraw your request, or

 

o Request a formal decision letter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that if we do not receive a response from you, we are required

 

under the FOI Act to expend additional resources to process your request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We appreciate your assistance in this matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General FOI matters

 

 

 

Your request was received by Finance on 3 February 2025. The statutory

 

period for processing your request commences from the day after Finance

 

received your request and a decision is due on Wednesday 5 March 2025.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The processing period may be extended if we need to consult third parties,

 

impose a charge or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liability to pay a charge

 

 

 

You will be notified of any charges in relation to your request as soon as

 

possible, before we process any requested documents or impose a final

 

charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publication

 

 

 

As required by the FOI Act, any documents provided to you under the FOI

 

Act will be published on our [2]disclosure log, unless an exemption

 

applies or the documents are characterised as containing personal

 

information. Documents will be published the next working day after they

 

are released to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policy to exclude junior officer contact details, signatures and mobile

 

phone numbers

 

 

 

Finance has adopted a policy to generally exclude from any documents

 

released under FOI, the names and contact details of junior staff (non-SES

 

officers) and staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act

 

1984 (adviser level and below). Finance has also adopted a policy to

 

exclude signatures and mobile phone numbers from any documents released

 

under FOI (unless publicly available). Finance’s preference is to reach

 

agreement with FOI applicants to exclude these details from the scope of

 

the request. Where there is no objection, the names and contact details of

 

junior officers, as well as any signatures and mobile phone numbers

 

appearing in identified documents, will be redacted under section 22 of

 

the FOI Act on the basis that these details are irrelevant to the request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please contact the FOI Team on the below contact details if you wish to

 

discuss your request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOI Officer | Legal and Assurance Branch

 

 

 

Business Enabling Services

 

 

 

Department of Finance

 

 

 

A: One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

Visible links

 

1.
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This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

 

[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

 

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

 

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Be careful with this message

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #12808 email]
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3. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus...
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hide quoted sections

Thank you for your email, which has been forwarded to the Department’s FOI
Team for their consideration. A member of the FOI Team will respond to
your email in the next couple of days.

 

Kind regards

 

FOI Coordinator