26 June 2013
Ms Margot Kingston
By email
: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Ms Kingston
FOI REQUEST - REFERENCE NUMBER 2013-15
I refer to your request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI
Act) in your email of 15 February 2013. In our subsequent correspondence, the scope of your request
was refined to access to the following documents:
1. In relation to the Jon Faine Smith/Baker broadcast interviews on 23 November 2012 via
774 ABC Melbourne:
The text of all received complaints;
The text of the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs unit’s and involved
management’s responses to those complainants
2. In relation to the Jon Faine Smith/Baker broadcast interviews on 23 November 2012 via
774 ABC Melbourne:
The text of al documents contained in the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs
complaints file;
The members of the complaints committee and their status;
The record of the complaints committee processes;
The detailed reasons underpinning the ultimate finding in relation to Jon Faine.
The text of al communications between the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs
unit and involved management in relation to the complaints and investigation
process.
3. In relation to the Jon Faine Smith/Baker broadcast interviews on 23 November 2012 via
774 ABC Melbourne:
The text of all communication (after the initial complaints and any initial responses)
between the ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs unit, involved ABC management
and the complainants;
The text of all communication between the ABC’s Audience and Affairs unit,
involved ABC management and Jon Faine during the entire process of the
investigation and the complaints committee process.
The text of al communications between the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs
unit, relevant ABC management and Mark Baker and Michael Smith during the
entire process of the investigation and the complaints committee process.
4. Mr Faine’s response to the finding and any request made by Mr Faine to review the finding,
including details of the complaints decision review process.
I am authorised by the Managing Director under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in
respect of requests made under that Act. Following is my decision in relation to your request.
Locating and identifying documents
I have taken reasonable steps to identify and locate all relevant documents. My search for documents
involved contacting the Head of Audience and Consumer Affairs (A&CA) and requesting that I be
provided with copies of all hard and soft copy records which fall within the scope of your request.
As a result of those searches, the following 27 documents were identified.
Document 1
Email to A&CA in complaint matter C46752-12 dated 23 November 2012
Document 2
Email string in complaint matter C46759-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 3
Email string in complaint matter C46817-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 4
Email to A&CA in complaint matter C46846-12 date 23 November 2012
Document 5
Email string in complaint matter C46801-12 concluding with message dated 5
February 2013
Document 6
Email to A&CA in complaint matter C46879-12 dated 24 November 2012
Document 7
Email string in complaint matter C46890-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 8
Email string in complaint matter C46896-12 concluding with message dated 1
February 2013
Document 9
Email string in complaint matter C46897-12 concluding with message dated 15
March 2013
Document 10
Email string in complaint matter C46938-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 11
Email string in complaint matter C46963-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 12
Email string in complaint matter C46994-12 concluding with message dated 18
February 2013
Document 13
Email string in complaint matter C52739-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
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Document 14
Email string in complaint matter C52741-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 15
Email string in complaint matter C52742-12 concluding with message dated 21
March 2013
Document 16
Email string in complaint matter C52752-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 17
Email string in complaint matter C52756-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 18
Email string in complaint matter C52757-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 19
Email string in complaint matter C52762-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 20
Email string in complaint matter C52765-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 21
Email string in complaint matter C52766-12 concluding with message dated 30
January 2013
Document 22
Email string in complaint matter C7480-13 concluding with message dated 6
February 2013
Document 23
Email string in complaint matter C7481-13 concluding with message dated 7
February 2013
Document 24
Internal email string with subject line “Jon Faine - AWU complaints” concluding
with message dated 12 December 2012
Document 25
Internal email string with subject line “Jon Faine proforma” concluding with
message dated 22 January 2013
Document 26
Internal email string with subject line “Faine-Gillard interviews initial findings”
concluding with message dated 22 January 2013
Document 27
Internal email string with subject line “Smith/Baker interviews and complaints”)
concluding with message dated 30 January 2013
Please note that in identifying relevant documents, I have excluded duplicates of the same document.
Accordingly, email messages which appear as part of a string have not also been included as
separate emails.
Similarly, in conducting a search for correspondence between A&CA and ‘relevant ABC
management’, I have relied on the documents provided by A&CA and have not sought the counterpart
copies from the relevant ABC management employees.
I note that the four parts of your request overlap. To avoid unnecessary repetition in this decision, I
have treated it is a single request for documents.
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Access to documents
I have decided to:
a) grant access to documents 1 to 23 inclusive; and
b) refuse access to documents 24 to 27 inclusive.
Documents 1 to 23 contain some information which could reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the
request for access, namely the name and contact details of the individual complainants. Section 22 of
the FOI Act allows access to be granted to an edited copy of a document if it is reasonably practicable
to remove irrelevant material. Accordingly, documents 1 to 23 have been redacted to remove
personally identifying information which is irrelevant. Copies of those documents are attached.
My reasons for refusing access to documents 24 to 27 are set out below
.
Access refusal – s47C (deliberative processes)
Access to documents 24 to 27 is refused on the basis that those documents are conditionally exempt
under s47C of the FOI Act. In my view, disclosure of those documents under the FOI Act would
disclose matter in the nature of, or relating to, an opinion or recommendation prepared in the course
of the deliberative processes involved in the functions of the ABC. I am further satisfied that, on
balance, it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose that material at this time.
Section 8(1) of the ABC Act states that it is a duty of the Board:
“...
(b)
to maintain the independence and integrity of the Corporation
(c)
to ensure that the gathering and presentation by the Corporation of news and
information is accurate and impartial according to the recognised standards of
objective journalism
...
(e)
to develop codes of practice relating to:
(i)
programming matters...”
Consistent with that duty, the ABC has established a code of practice relating to its television and
radio programming. The
ABC Code of Practice 2011 is currently in force, and is publicly available on
the ABC’s website here:
http://about.abc.net.au/reports-publications/code-of-practice-2013/
The
ABC Code of Practice states:
“
A complaint alleging the ABC has acted contrary to its Code of Practice in its television or
radio programming may be made to the ABC. A complainant is entitled under section 150 of
the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth) (“the BSA”) to take their complaint to the ACMA if,
after 60 days, the ABC fails to respond to the complainant or the complainant considers the
ABC’s response is inadequate.”
The ABC has well established procedures in place to deal with complaints which are received. Those
procedures include investigating a complaint, considering the facts and circumstances surrounding
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the alleged breach, seeking opinions from relevant persons, weighing the evidence, forming opinions
and making findings. In doing so, the ABC is applying the
ABC Code of Practice which has been
established under s8(1) of the ABC Act, and as such it is engaged in activities which are directly
related to its functions.
In determining whether the information in documents 24 to 27 contains information relating to the
ABC’s deliberative processes, I have had regard to the Guidelines issued by the Australian
Information Commissioner under s 93A of the FOI Act (the Guidelines), in particular
Part 6 –
Conditional Exemptions. Paragraph 6.62 of the Guidelines states:
“A deliberative process involves the exercise of judgement in developing and making a
selection from different options:
The action of deliberating, in common understanding, involves the weighing up or
evaluation of the competing arguments or considerations that may have a bearing
upon one's course of action. In short, the deliberative processes involved in the
functions of an agency are its thinking processes – the processes of reflection, for
example, upon the wisdom and expediency of a proposal, a particular decision or a
course of action.1
The information in documents 24 to 27 contains a collection of facts, advice, opinions and findings
which form part of the ‘thinking processes’ associated with investigating and responding to complaints
under the
ABC Code of Practice.
Specifically:
Documents 24 and 25 contain communications between ABC Radio management and A&CA
regarding the investigation process, including the preliminary findings made by the decision
maker. It includes information provided by management which is part of the consultation
process which aids the decision maker in his investigation and deliberations.
Document 26 contains the preliminary findings of the decision maker in A&CA. It contains an
analysis of facts and circumstances surrounding the interview conducted on 23 November
2012 by Mr Faine with Mr Michael Smith and Mr Mark Baker and which was broadcast on 774
ABC Melbourne. The document includes an evaluation of each element of the alleged breach
having regard to the Principles and Standards in the
ABC Editorial Policies and the
ABC
Code of Practice.
Document 27 contains communications between A&CA and Mr Faine regarding the alleged
breach of the ABC Code of Practice and the investigation into those allegations. It includes
information provided by Mr Faine which is part of the consultation process which aids the
decision maker in his investigation and deliberations.
The majority of this is information is not incidental administrative content. To the extent that the
documents contain incidental administrative content which is not part of the ABC’s deliberative
processes (and to which access could therefore be granted), the information in those parts of the
documents would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to your request.
1. See
Re JE Waterford and Department of Treasury (No 2) [1984] AATA 67. See
British American
Tobacco Australia Ltd and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2012] AICmr 19, [15]–
[22].
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I note that the Guidelines state (at paragraph 6.69) that material that is gathered as a basis for
intended deliberations may also be deliberative matter. This is consistent with the findings of the
Federal Court of Australia that it would be a ‘fallacy’ to consider the application of exemptions under
the FOI Act to documents brought into existence for a particular purpose divorced from the process in
which that occurred.2 In the present case, I am satisfied that the collection of facts and opinions from
management and relevant staff (in particular, the information in documents 24, 25 and 27) are an
integral part of the process of making a determination regarding compliance with the
ABC Code of
Practice, and are therefore part of the deliberative process.
I have had regard to s47C(2) of the FOI Act, and I am satisfied that the information in documents 24
to 27 is not operational information, nor is it purely factual material.
I note that the deliberative processes exemption does not require a specific harm to result from
disclosure. Rather, the only consideration is whether the document includes content of a specific type,
namely deliberative matter. For the reasons outlined above, I am satisfied that documents 24 to 27
contain deliberative matter and are therefore conditionally exempt.
Public interest
Section 11A(5) of the FOI Act requires the ABC to provide access to a conditionally exempt document
unless, in the circumstances, access to the document would, on balance, be contrary to the public
interest.
I have had regard to the factors set out in s11B of the FOI Act which favour disclosure, specifically
whether disclosure would promote the objects of the FOI Act, inform debate on a matter of public
importance, promote effective oversight of public expenditure, or allow a person to access his or her
personal information.
I note that A&CA responded to complainants on 30 January 2013 and published a summary of the
findings on 1 February 2013. This attracted some public interest at the time, including reports in
mainstream media between 31 January and 4 February.
I am aware of the following posts on the ‘Australians for Honest Politics’ website, which you have
referred me to previously:
Letter from Margo Kingston to Mark Scott dated 4 February 2013 published on an
“Australians for Honest Politics” website;
Blog post published by Peter Clarke on 15 February 2013 on the
Australians for Honest
Politics” website; and
Blog post published by Peter Clarke on 27 February 2013 on the
Australians for Honest
Politics” website.
Other than the posts on the ‘Australians for Honest Politics’ website, I am not aware of any public
debate or commentary about this matter in over four months. In the circumstances, based on the low
level of interest in this issue, it does not appear that this is a matter of public importance. Accordingly,
providing access to documents will not inform a debate about such a matter.
2
Secretary, Department of Employment, Workplace Relations & Small Business v The Staff
Development & Training Centre Pty Limited [2001] FCA 382 (at [52])
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I accept that disclosure may promote the objects of the FOI Act in that it would provide access to
information.
Finally, I do not consider that providing access to documents 24 to 27, particularly having regard to
the content of those documents, would promote effective oversight of public expenditure, or allow a
person to access his or her personal information.
Balanced against the factors favouring disclosure, there are public interest factors against disclosure.
In particular, I consider that it is likely that disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected
to:
prejudice the ABC’s ability to obtain similar information in the future; and
prejudice the ABC’s management functions.
The law requires complaints about the
ABC Code of Practice to be made to the ABC. Section 150 of
the
Broadcasting Services Act 1992 states:
“If:
(a)
a person has made a complaint to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation or the Special
Broadcasting Service Corporation on the ground that the Corporation has, in providing a
national broadcasting service or a datacasting service, acted contrary to a code of
practice developed by the Corporation and notified to the ACMA; and
(b)
either:
(i)
the person has not received a response within 60 days after making the
complaint; or
(ii)
the person has received a response within that period but considers that
response to be inadequate;
the person may make a complaint to the ACMA about the matter.”
The ABC takes seriously its obligation to investigate complaints that are made regarding compliance
with the
ABC Code of Practice, and comprehensive Complaints Handling Procedures are in place.
The complaint investigation function carried out by A&CA is independent of the content-making areas
of the ABC, and there is often a requirement for consultation with relevant staff and management.
A&CA relies on the frankness and candour of staff and management when providing information to
ensure that a fair and accurate determination is made. There is a significant risk that A&CA’s ability to
effectively investigate complaints will be compromised if staff are concerned about the possible
disclosure of information they provide to A&CA.
Effective complaints investigation procedures is one of the mechanisms available to the Board to
determine whether it has satisfied its duty under s8(1) of the ABC Act to ensure that the gathering and
presentation by the Corporation of news and information is accurate and impartial according to the
recognised standards of objective journalism.
I have weighed the factors in favour of disclosure against the factors against disclosure. Whilst
granting access to documents in this matter may provide access to information in the broad sense of
the objects of the FOI Act, I do not consider that, on balance, this is sufficient to outweigh the factors
against disclosure. In that regard I note that the ABC provides a range of publicly available
information regarding the application of the
ABC Editorial Policies and
ABC Code of Practice, and the
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complaints handling procedures that are in place (se
e http://about.abc.net.au/reports-
publications/complaint-handling-procedures/). More generally, the ABC supports the objects of the
FOI Act and provides access to a range of information in accordance with s8(2) of the FOI Act,
published as part of the ABC’s Agency Plan and Information Publication Scheme. That information is
available publicly on the ABC’s website (see
http://about.abc.net.au/how-the-abc-is-run/what-guides-
us/freedom-of-information/).
Given the important role of the
ABC Editorial Policies and the
ABC Code of Practice to the ABC
fulfilling its functions and its Charter obligations, I have given weight to the potential detriment that
disclosure would have on the ABC’s ability to make effective decisions regarding editorial matters.
I am satisfied that the material contained in documents 24 to 27 is conditionally exempt under s47C of
the FOI Act, and that disclosure of that material at this time would be, on balance, contrary to the
public interest.
If you are dissatisfied with this decision you can apply for Internal or Information Commissioner (IC)
Review. You do not have to apply for Internal Review before seeking IC Review. Information about
your review rights is attached.
Yours sincerely
Judith Maude
Head, Corporate Governance
Direct line 02 8333 5316
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