UNCLASSIFIED

14/9794

 

17 July 2014

 

 

Mr Anthony Dunbar

Sent via email to: foi+[email address]    

 

Dear Mr Dunbar

Freedom of Information Request no. FOI14-140

 

I refer to your request for access to documents relating to a meeting organised by the Attorney General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, on 27 May 2014 under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. I have taken your request to be for:

a)     Minutes from Attorney General Brandis' meeting held on the evening of 27th of May 2014 (Reference to this meeting can be found on page 77 of the official Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee transcript held on the 28th of May 2014 which can be found at the following URL

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22committees%2Festimate%2F219a9210-1ca0-49cb-903b-3e1309393869%2F0000%22

b)     A full list of all attendees to this meeting and the capacity in which they attended this meeting.

c)     Any supplementary documents that were created during this meeting or as result of the meeting

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

We received your request on 16 July 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 15 August 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.

I note that you also sent an identical request for access to [AGD request email] but addressed to the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. I have attached a copy of your email for your reference. As it appears your request to the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General was intended for that office rather that the Attorney-General’s Department, if you wish to proceed with this request you will need to re-submit it to  [email address]. I note, however, that s 6A(1) of the FOI Act provides that ‘This Act does not apply to any request for access to a document of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General unless the document relates to matters of an administrative nature’. While this is a matter for the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, based on the scope of your request, it does not appear that the documents you are seeking would be considered documents of an administrative nature and it is unlikely that you would be granted access to them.

It is the usual practice of the Department to not release the names and contact details of junior officers of the Department and other government agencies, where that personal information is contained in documents within scope of a request.  The names and contact details of senior officers will generally be released.  We will take it that you agree to the removal of junior officers’ personal information unless you advise that you would like us to consider releasing that information as part of the documents you have requested.

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be published online on our disclosure log http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/FOI/Pages/Freedomofinformationdisclosurelog.aspx, subject to certain exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where this would be unreasonable.)

We will contact you using the email address you provided. Please advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact. If you have any questions, please contact the FOI Section by email [AGD request email].

 

Kind Regards

 

FOI Contact Officer

 

 

 


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