Documents relating to a trip of Former Prime Ministers to the UK
Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
This is a Freedom of Information Request for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
I seek access to the following:
(a) All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship summit
(b) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and John Howard in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship summit
(c) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Tony Abbott in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship summit
(d) notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary and Scott Morrison relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship summit
(e) Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship summit
Yours faithfully,
Alex Pentland
FOI Request: LEX 9423
Dear Mr Pentland
Thank you for your email dated 3 November 2023 seeking access to documents
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
Scope of request:
You have sought access to:
a. All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities
in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and
Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
b. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and John Howard in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
c. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Tony Abbott in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
d. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Scott Morrison relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
e. Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade
Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony
Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance
for Responsible Citizenship summit
Timeframe for receiving our decision:
We received your request at 3 November 2023 and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
The period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances. We will
advise you if any extension of time is required.
Charges:
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests. 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 disclosure log:
[1]https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora....
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:
It is the department’s policy to withhold the mobile numbers of all
government officials, and the names and contact details of government
officials not in the Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent. If you
require the mobile numbers of all government officials, or the names and
contact details of non-SES officials, please let us know at
[2][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise we will
take it that you agree to that information 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. The department’s privacy policy is available
at dfat.gov.au/privacy.html.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by return e-mail at [3][DFAT request email]
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[4]dfat.gov.au | [5]Twitter | [6]Facebook | [7]Instagram | [8]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[9]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.
Dear Mr Pentland
I refer to your current request for access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) within which you sought access to:
a. All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities
in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and
Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
b. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and John Howard in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
c. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Tony Abbott in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
d. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Scott Morrison relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
e. Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade
Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony
Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance
for Responsible Citizenship summit
I am writing to let you know that the department’s preliminary examination
of the documents relevant to your request has determined that
consultations are required as provided for in section 27A of the FOI Act,
as the documents contain personal information relating to another
individual.
The other person may contend that the disclosure of their personal
information relating to them would be an unreasonable disclosure of
personal information, as defined in section 47F of the FOI Act.
To allow the other person a reasonable opportunity to consider whether to
contend that their personal information should be exempt from disclosure,
the statutory 30-day time limit for processing your request is extended by
another 30 days, as provided for in section 15 of the FOI Act.
Accordingly, your request which was due to expire on 4 December 2023, will
now expire on 2 January 2023.
While consultation with persons whose personal information appears in the
documents is required by the FOI Act, this does not confer a right of veto
on the release of this information or the documents as a whole. The
department’s decision-maker will, however, have regard to any submissions
put forward by the individual concerned.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]Twitter | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[6]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.
From: FOI <[DFAT request email]>
Sent: Friday, 3 November 2023 5:32 PM
To: Alex Pentland <[FOI #10836 email]>
Cc: FOI <[DFAT request email]>
Subject: LEX 9423 - Your DFAT FOI Request - Acknowledgement
[SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
FOI Request: LEX 9423
Dear Mr Pentland
Thank you for your email dated 3 November 2023 seeking access to documents
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
Scope of request:
You have sought access to:
a. All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities
in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and
Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
b. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and John Howard in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
c. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Tony Abbott in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
d. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Scott Morrison relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
e. Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade
Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony
Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance
for Responsible Citizenship summit
Timeframe for receiving our decision:
We received your request at 3 November 2023 and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
The period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances. We will
advise you if any extension of time is required.
Charges:
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests. 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 disclosure log:
[7]https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora....
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:
It is the department’s policy to withhold the mobile numbers of all
government officials, and the names and contact details of government
officials not in the Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent. If you
require the mobile numbers of all government officials, or the names and
contact details of non-SES officials, please let us know at
[8][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise we will
take it that you agree to that information 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. The department’s privacy policy is available
at dfat.gov.au/privacy.html.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by return e-mail at [9][DFAT request email]
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[10]dfat.gov.au | [11]Twitter | [12]Facebook | [13]Instagram |
[14]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[15]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.
Dear FOI,
I agree and consent to any required extensions ..
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Dear Mr Pentland
I refer to your request dated 3 November 2023, within which you sought
access to:
a. All correspondence between DFAT and the Australian Government entities
in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony Abbott and
Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
b. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and John Howard in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
c. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Tony Abbott in relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
d. notes, summaries or records of discussions between the DFAT Secretary
and Scott Morrison relation to a visit to London for the Alliance for
Responsible Citizenship summit
e. Any submissions sent by DFAT to the Foreign Minister or the Trade
Minister in relation to Former Prime Minister's John Howard, Tony
Abbott and Scott Morrison regarding a visit to London for the Alliance
for Responsible Citizenship summit
I am writing to seek your agreement under section 15AA of the FOI Act to
an extension of 30 days to finalise your request, which is currently due
on 2 January 2024.
While the department has made progress processing your request, we are
unable to meet the current timelines imposed under the FOI Act. The
additional time is necessary for the undertake further searches for
documents, collate any additional relevant documents, consult stakeholders
and finalise the decision making process. It also accounts for the
upcoming holiday and shutdown period over Christmas and New Year.
I would be grateful if you could please advise in writing if you agree to
the proposed extension of time by COB Thursday 14 December 2023. In the
event you do not respond, the department may apply to the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) seeking an extension to the
statutory timeframe under s15AB of the FOI Act.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]Twitter | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[6]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.
Dear FOI,
I understand the request and consent to the request for an extension of 30 days given the circumstances listed.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Dear Alex
Please find attached the outcome for your FOI request, as well as the
documents you have been granted access to.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]Twitter | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Kim Hill, Among Women (2011)
[6]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.