Did Prime Minister Gough Whitlam sign intervention or security treaties with China for the Asia region, especially in 1973.

Joseph Walz made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Foreign Affairs

I am seeking information on the following:

Did Prime Minister Gough Whitlam sign intervention or security
treaties with China for the Asia region, especially in 1973 and what were they?

Yours faithfully,
Joseph Walz

Ben Fairless left an annotation ()

Hi Joseph,

Just a heads up, the Australian FOI laws require that you request "documents" not information. This will likely be rejected as you haven't sought documents, but rather information.

You could word the request as follows:

"I am seeking access to copies of documents detailing intervention or security treaties entered into with Chine for the Asia region which were created in 1973"

The decision would then give insight as to if the documents exist. If they refuse it because there is no such document, then it could be assumed that no document was ever created.

Hope that helps!

Ben

FOI, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Dear Mr Walz,

I refer to your e-mail of 23 February in which you seek access under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to:

Did Prime Minister Gough Whitlam sign intervention or security treaties with China for the Asia region, especially in 1973.

I note the documents requested are older than 30 years. Accordingly, they are covered by the Archives Act 1983 (the Archives Act) rather than the FOI Act. (Section 12(a) of the FOI Act refers.)

Should you wish, you may make an application under the Archives Act by writing directly to the National Archives of Australia (NAA). Your request for access under the Archives Act should be addressed to:

The National Archives of Australia
PO Box 7425
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
www.naa.gov.au

Yours sincerely,
Ada Cheung
Executive Officer
Freedom of Information and Privacy Law Section
Corporate Law Branch
Legal Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Tel: +61 2 6261 3470
Fax: +61 2 6261 2144

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