ATO Commissioner referring to some staff as "Village Idiots"?

D Conway made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Taxation Office

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 partially successful.

Dear Commissioner of Taxation

I'm advised in a recent speach you gave to the Tax Institute you referred to some A.T.O. employees as "Village Idiots".

I request the following documents if such documents exist:
1. A transcript of your whole speach
2. Any complaints put to you in relation to your comment
3. Any discussions on the topic on internal staff discussion boards
4. Any other documents held by the A.T.O. on the matter

Yours faithfully,

D Conway

FOI, Australian Taxation Office

1 Attachment

Dear FOI Applicant,
 
Please see attachment.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
FOI Team
 
 
 

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FOI, Australian Taxation Office

1 Attachment

Dear FOI Applicant,
 
Please see attachment.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
FOI Team
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

**********************************************************************

IMPORTANT

    The information transmitted is for the use of the intended

recipient only and may contain confidential and/or legally

privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, disclosure,

dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in

reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other

than the intended recipient is prohibited and may result in

severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error

please notify the Privacy Hotline of the Australian Taxation

Office, telephone 1300 661 542 and delete all copies of this

transmission together with any attachments.

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Dear Commissioner of Taxation,

I do apologize most sincerely but your response just doesn't cut the mustard.

I respectfully request an internal review.

Be sure to include the following Yammer comments I can confirm have been made by ATO employees in response to your "village idiot" remark:

"So the Commissioner is saying some of us are idiots? Who is the one suing the ATO for information in regards to his comments about a taxpayer??????"

"I'm actually quite insulted the Commissioner would say something like that, especially when he claims he defends us at every opportunity (which one does he think he is, by the way?)" [A professor or a village idiot]

"Bruce Quigley was a top bloke, and he MAY have said that to [Chris Jordan], but its not the sort of thing I would share with the wider public, especially an auditorium full of tax agents / accountants as they would all be thinking the one ATO officer they are currently in dispute with IS that lower classification [a village idiot] in the scale!!"

"So as far as the Commissioner is concerned he's the leading hand of a village of idiots. Great. I feel really special now. I'm not a very impressed village idiot."

"I was disappointed with the Commissioner's remark. As we've seen here [on Yammer], some may wonder if they are considered a 'village idiot' by the Commissioner'. It's not something that any Agency Head ought to say about any of their employees, even if they believe it is true. Commissioner, I request you publicly retract your statement and issue an apology".

Yours sincerely,

D Conway
~It's only the beginning

FOI, Australian Taxation Office

1 Attachment

Dear FOI Applicant,
 
Please see attachment.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
FOI Team
 
 
 
 
 

**********************************************************************

IMPORTANT

    The information transmitted is for the use of the intended

recipient only and may contain confidential and/or legally

privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, disclosure,

dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in

reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other

than the intended recipient is prohibited and may result in

severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error

please notify the Privacy Hotline of the Australian Taxation

Office, telephone 1300 661 542 and delete all copies of this

transmission together with any attachments.

*********************************************************************

hide quoted sections

FOI, Australian Taxation Office

1 Attachment

Dear FOI Applicant,
 
Please see attachment.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
FOI Team
 
 
 
 

**********************************************************************

IMPORTANT

    The information transmitted is for the use of the intended

recipient only and may contain confidential and/or legally

privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, disclosure,

dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in

reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other

than the intended recipient is prohibited and may result in

severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error

please notify the Privacy Hotline of the Australian Taxation

Office, telephone 1300 661 542 and delete all copies of this

transmission together with any attachments.

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