2016-17 Most Expensive Trip

Jackson Gothe-Snape made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Social Services as part of a batch sent to 18 authorities

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Department of Social Services.

Jackson Gothe-Snape

Dear Department of Social Services,

This is a request under the FOI Act.

Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by a Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in 2016-17.

I request that any fees arising in relation to this request be waived as the information is in the public interest, as it helps inform the public about how the government is spending public revenue.

Yours faithfully,

Jackson Gothe-Snape

FOI, Department of Social Services

Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox of the
Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS). Your email, should it be
a request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act
1982, will be actioned by the appropriate team member.  

If your email is for any other enquiry you should direct it to
[1][email address]. It will not be actioned from this inbox.

GENERAL INFORMATION

If you are seeking general information about FOI, you may find the
following websites useful:

[2]http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...

[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...

PROCESS

An FOI officer has received your email and it will be actioned
accordingly. In the case of a valid FOI request, you can expect us to
provide an acknowledgment that the request has been received as soon as
practicable, but in any case no later than 14 days after today.

REQUESTS OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS

Please note that if this message has been received outside our business
hours of 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday or on
a public holiday, your request will be actioned on the next business day.

Kind regards,

DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Department of Social Services request email] 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]

FOI, Department of Social Services

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

 

FOI Request No. 17/18-012 – Mr Gothe-Snape

 

Thank you for your request of 8 August 2017, received by the Department of
Social Services (DSS) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act)
for the following:

 

‘Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit
card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by a
Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in
2016-17.’

 

Publically available information

 

The Department of Finance has material publicly available on its website.
In particular, reporting of parliamentarian’s work expenses has been
published since 2008-09 at
[1]http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/p....

 

Specifically, in relation to your request, detailed expenditure reporting
for the Ministers in the Social Services portfolio, for the period July to
December 2016, is available here:

 

·        The Hon Christian Porter MP, Minister for Social Services -
[2]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...

·        Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Social
Services and Multicultural Affairs -
[3]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...

·        The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services
and Disability Services -
[4]http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...

 

New independent body to oversee parliamentarians’ expenses - IPEA

 

From 3 April 2017, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA)
was established as an independent body to oversee parliamentarians’
expenses. In particular, IPEA has the following functions:

 

·        Giving advice to parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act staff about
travel expenses and travel allowances.

·        Monitoring the travel expenses and travel allowances of
parliamentarian and MOP(S) Act staff.

·        Preparing regular reports relating to:

o   all work expenses, travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by
parliamentarians

o   travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by MOP(S) Act staff.

·        Conducting audits relating to:

o   all work expenses, travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by
parliamentarians

o   travel expenses and travel allowances claimed by MOP(S) Act staff.

·        Processing claims relating to travel expenses and travel
allowances of parliamentarians and their staff.

 

Since 3 April 2017, IPEA commenced responsibility for the reporting
functions of parliamentarians’ work expenses from Finance. You may be
aware that over time, reporting by IPEA will transition from six-monthly
reporting to a quarterly and then to a monthly reporting basis, to improve
transparency and accountability for parliamentarians’ work expenses.

 

Reporting for January to June 2017

 

We note that you have requested information for the 2016-17 financial
year. Reporting for the period January to June 2017 is currently being
compiled by IPEA. We understand that reporting for the period January to
March 2017 will be available towards the end of quarter 3 in 2017.
Reporting for April to June 2017 will be available towards the end of
quarter 4 in 2017.

 

DSS acknowledges there is a public interest in obtaining information on
parliamentarians’ travel expenses, which is consistent with the regime to
publish the material mentioned above.

 

As the information is still being completed for the full 2016-17 financial
year, it is not possible to identify the ‘most expensive trip’ until the
reporting and acquittal processes are completed.

 

Suggested way forward

 

As the documents you are requesting are more closely aligned with IPEA we
suggest you contact IPEA in relation to your request for documents. We
note you may wish to also amend the scope of your request, following your
review of the publicly available information and the comments made on
reporting, as set out above.

 

As IPEA would be the most appropriate agency to process your request, we
will consider your request withdrawn from DSS unless you advise otherwise,
by Wednesday, 23 August 2017. You can correspond with us regarding this
request via email to [5][Department of Social Services request email].

 

Kind regards

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

FOI Coordinator

Government & Executive Services Branch

Department of Social Services
E: [6][Department of Social Services request email]

 

DSS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and
present.            

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/p...
2. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
3. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
4. http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/...
5. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
6. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]

Jackson Gothe-Snape

Hello,

Can you please vary my request to the following:

Can you please provide the travel expenses, invoices, receipts, credit card statements and reimbursements for the most expensive trip taken by staff in the Department accompanying a Minister or Assistant Minister in your Department's portfolio area in 2016-17. Please determine the most expensive trip only by expenses ultimately paid for, directly or through reimbursement, by the Department.

Yours sincerely,

Jackson Gothe-Snape

FOI, Department of Social Services

2 Attachments

  • Attachment

    D17 899505 FOI Request No.17 18 013 Jackson Gothe Snape SBS Decision letter.DOCX.docx

    817K Download View as HTML

  • Attachment

    D17 897676 FOI Request No.17 18 012 Jackson Gothe Snape SBS Decision letter.DOCX.docx

    816K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

 

Please see attached decision letters in respect of your FOI Request No.
17/18-012 and FOI Request No. 17/18-013.

 

Kind Regards

 

FOI Team

Government and Executive Support Branch

Corporate Services Group

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

Refused on the ground that it is not a valid request under s 15 of the Act. The complaint from the agency is that words like "event" are not explained by the applicant.