"there's no denying a coronavirus vaccine is the fastest was back to normal life" SBS claims
Dear Special Broadcasting Service Corporation,
This is an Australian Information Act request.
SBS published a news story on 16 June 2020 titled:
“The Case: If we get a coronavirus vaccine, should it be mandatory".
Retrieved from the World Wide Web: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/if-...
1. SBS claims that:
“The science on immunisation is clear. Thanks to vaccines we’ve eradicated smallpox and suppressed diseases like tetanus and diphtheria to the point we almost forget they even exist”
Please provide for public scrutiny and review a copy of the medicall evidence from which SBS predicates their claim that:
"the science of immunisation is clear".
2. SBS claims that:
“there’s no denying a coronavirus vaccine is the fastest way back to normal life”
Please provide for public scrutiny and review a copy of the medical evidence from which SBS predicates their claim that:
"there’s no denying a coronavirus vaccine is the fastest way back to normal life"
Yours faithfully,
Jaay-H
Dear Jaay-H
FOI Request – Reference – 2020/05
I refer to your request below for documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
I am writing to advise receipt of your request. SBS will notify you of its
decision within the timeframes set by the FOI Act, that is, within 30 days
from the date of your request (21 June 2020), subject to any relevant
extension of time provisions (which I would notify to you if necessary).
Please let me know if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely
Natasha
Dear Jaay-H
Further to your request below, please find attached a letter from SBS's FOI Decision Maker.
With kind regards,
Natasha
Natasha Eves
External Affairs Manager
[email address]
SBS 14 Herbert Street
Artarmon NSW 2064 Australia
sbs.com.au
SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia.
Dear foi,
Thank you for your decision letter.
I acknowledge that SBS has elected not to disclose any objective, science based evidence to substantiate their claims that the:
“The science on immunisation is clear.”
or
“theres no denying a coronavirus vaccine is the fastest way back to normal life”.
As SBS has refused to provide the Australian public objective, science based evidence to support these statements, can we ask for an operational document that confirms if this story is predicated on factual material, or is it just an opinion piece.
Yours sincerely,
Jaay-H
Dear Jaay-H
Thank you for your email. Could you please confirm if you are requesting:
- an internal review of the original decision;
- making a new request for 'an operational document that confirms if this story is predicated on factual material, or is it just an opinion piece'.
For further background on the program material exemption, and in considering your follow-up request, please see the below determination from the Privacy Commissioner regarding the exemption for program material.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With kind regards,
Natasha Eves
The s.7(2) exemption was considered by the Commonwealth Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim (the Commissioner), in the 2015 matter of ‘ER’ and Special Broadcasting Service (the ER Decision). In his reasons for findings, the Commissioner noted, among other things, that:
- it is established that ‘program material’ includes any document acquired or created for the purpose of creating the program, whether or not incorporated into the complete program;
- documents evidencing the cost of making programs are clearly created for the purpose of creating the program, and therefore exempt ‘program material’; and
- documents concerning decisions by SBS relating to the timing of broadcasts and communications discussing key figures in programs, are exempt because they are acquired or created for the purpose of creating the program.
Dear Natasha,
Thank you for replying. This is a clarification, not an internal review request. Please excuse my misunderstanding.
SBS states any document acquired for the purpose of creating a program is exempt from FOI disclosure, the cases cited evidently support this. However the FOI exemption and case law precedents don't prohibit SBS from disclosing evidence to support their claims. SBS can disclose evidential material to support their claims if they choose too.
Is SBS willing to substantiate their claims with objective evidence?
Yours sincerely,
Jaay-H
Dear Jaay-H
Thank you for your email. SBS is not in a position to release documents on this topic outside of the FOI Act.
You are welcome to make a second FOI request for 'an operational document that confirms if this story is predicated on factual material, or is it just an opinion piece', please do let me know.
With kind regards,
Natasha Eves