OFFICIAL

 

FOI Request: LEX 12852

  

Dear Glenn Hamiltonshire

  

Thank you for your email dated 18 September 2025 seeking access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).  

  

This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department),
together with requesting that you withdraw part 1 of your request.

  

Scope of request:  

You have sought access to:

 

1. Any briefings provided by DFAT to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (or
her office) between 10 September 2025 and 17 September 2025 inclusive in
relation to the killing of Charles James Kirk (Charlie Kirk).

 

2. Any briefings provided by DFAT to the Prime Minister (or his office)
between 10 September 2025 and 17 September 2025 inclusive in relation to
the killing of Charles James Kirk (Charlie Kirk).

 

3. Any briefings provided by DFAT to the Deputy Prime Minister (or his
office) between 10 September 2025 and 17 September 2025 inclusive in
relation to the killing of Charles James Kirk (Charlie Kirk).

 

Please exclude duplicates and documents already publicly released,
including media releases, reports, articles and statements to the media.

 

Please limit emails to the final message in the chain as long as previous
messages are captured.

 

I agree to having the names and direct contact details of non-senior staff
removed, however I request that redactions do not include non-personally
identifying information. For example, please leave the domain and job
titles when redacting email addresses or signature blocks on emails.

 

If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large
for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.

Request for your assistance

Request to withdraw part 1

The department is already processing the following FOI request:

 

Documents since September 10 about the death of Charlie Kirk briefing
notes, talking points, and Q&A documents prepared by the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and their
office.

 

Given the above request was received before yours, covers the same
documents as part 1 of your request, and a decision on that request will
be released prior to any decision on your request, we would be grateful if
you would reply agreeing to withdraw part 1 of your request at your
earliest convenience.

 

We can notify you once a decision has been made on the above.

 

General FOI matters

Timeframe for receiving our decision:  

We received your request on 18 September 2025, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
30 calendar days would mean a decision is due to you by Saturday 18
October 2025. As this is not a working day, the decision becomes due to
you the next working day, which is Monday 20 October 2025. The period of
30 days may be extended in certain circumstances.

    

Charges:   

Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests. If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when
we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your
request.   

   

Disclosure log:

Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s [1]disclosure log.

  

Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:  

It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers.  

   

Duplicate documents and incomplete email chains:  

Your request will be processed on the basis that you did not intend to
capture duplicate documents or duplicate emails within email chains.

 

If you require the excluded information or documents, please let us know
at [2][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we
will take it that you agree to the information and documents being
excluded from the scope of your request.

 

Personal Information:  

If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our [3]privacy policy.  

  

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.  

  

Kind regards  

  

Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[4]dfat.gov.au | [5]X | [6]Facebook | [7]Instagram  | [8]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

 

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL

 

FOI request: LEX 12852

Dear Glenn Hamiltonshire

We appreciate your quick response and agreeing to withdraw part 1 of your
request.

We will continue processing parts 2 and 3 and will be in touch in due
course.

Kind regards

 

Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram  | [5]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

 

show quoted sections