Non-APS position titles
Dear Department of Industry, Innovation and Science,
I seek the following under FOI;
A document that contains a list of all the position/job titles of every non-APS contractor working within your department.
e.g. a position title may be: 'security guard', or 'consultant', or 'APS3 FOI officer', etc.
You may omit repeating a position title when there exist multiple contractors who have that position title. Additionally, if it would not be too onerous, please indicate the number of contractors that hold each position title.
If no such document exists please produce a document containing the information under s17.
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
We refer to the attached Freedom of Information request received by the
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (the department) on
3 August 2020.
For documents that fall within the scope of the request, it is the
department’s policy to withhold:
· the names, signatures and contact details of departmental staff
who are not in the Senior Executive Service (SES);
· the mobile phone numbers of SES officers; and
· the names, signatures and contact details of ministerial staff
below the level of Chief of Staff.
The names and other details of SES officers will be released unless the
information is exempt from disclosure.
If you require the names or contact details listed above, please let us
know by return email at [1][email address], otherwise we will consider
that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your
request.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
Please do not withhold the names of SES officers or ministerial staffers, if the inclusion of those names would fall within the scope of this request.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached correspondence in response to your Freedom of
Information request of 3 August 2020.
Should you have any queries in relation to this email, please contact the
FOI team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
I seek a fee waiver of this FOI request.
The extent to which labour hire services are used in the public service is a matter that has been discussed by many outlets, in both the mainstream and independent media.
Further clarity on the degree to which labour hire employees are being used throughout government departments, (both Commonwealth and State) is of interest to a substantial section of the public.
Information about the number of labour hire employees working APS-equivalent roles, is not currently available within your department's annual reports. That is why this FOI request about which roles are being filled by labour hire is necessary.
To substantiate this point, let me point out a number of recent articles written about public sector use of labour hire:
Sydney Morning Herald:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/...
ABC News:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-03/a...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-06/n...
Michael West Media:
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/boomers-v...
It is also a topic that has been of interest to the CPSU, a union that represents a substantial section of the public (namely, public servant union members)
https://www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/scrap-...
In light of the above, please waive the fee associated with this request; on the ground that this is a public interest inquiry.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear John
We refer to your email attached of 14 August 2020 requesting a waiver of
the preliminary estimate of charges based on public interest grounds.
Your correspondence will be forward to the delegate for consideration.
The department has 30 days to make a decision on charges. Accordingly, a
decision is due to you on or before 13 September 2020.
Should you have any queries in relation to this matter please contact the
FOI team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Mr Smith
We refer to your email of 14 August 2020 (attached) requesting a waiver of
the preliminary estimate of charges based on public interest grounds.
However, we have since received a payment in full for the processing of
your request.
Can you please confirm:
a) You wish to request a waiver of charges; or
b) You wish to withdraw your request for a waiver of charges.
Your confirmation by 31 August 2020 would be most appreciated. Until then,
your request is on hold and no action is being taken.
If we do not hear from you by this date, we will assume the payment
received cancels out the earlier request for the charges to be waived in
full, and we will continue to process your request recommencing on 31
August 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
While I did not make this payment personally, the FOI fees must have been paid on my behalf by a benevolent third party; who has seen my publicly visible request on righttoknow.org.au
I assume the payment for this fees of this request were made using the publicly visible LEX numbers and payment information on righttoknow.org.au; and so they have made this payment on my behalf.
Given that this is the case, I am of the mind to not proceed with the fee waiver request. Please process the request, as the fee associated with this request has now been paid.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Freedom of Information,
However, I reserve the right to proceed with my OAIC review to obtain a fee waiver of these access charges.
I am going to maintain my OAIC review; because it is only right that the fees ought to be waived in the public interest under the act. Hopefully the benevolent third party who has paid the fees associated with this request, will be able to get their $75 back once it is rightfully decided that the money ought not to have been charged.
In the meantime, please process the request, as the fees associated with this request have been paid on my behalf.
(p.s. I wonder if the anonymous payment of a third party of the payment associated with this request, is at all demonstrative of a public interest in this request? An interesting thought.)
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
This correspondence acknowledges your withdrawal of your request for the charges to be waived.
Please find the attached a copy of receipt for the payment to process your FOI request.
Currently, a decision regarding your FOI request is due to you on 13 September 2020. In accordance with FOI Guidelines 3.141 as the due date for a decision falls on the weekend, the due date will be the next business day, being Monday 14 September 2020.
Should you have any queries in relation to this matter please contact the FOI team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Freedom of Information,
Thank you FOI team.
To any readers of this exchange; I hereby waive my legal right to confidence in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request of 3
August 2020.
Should you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact the FOI
team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
Thank you, I seek internal review of the decision to charge $75 for this document; and ask that the money be refunded.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your internal review
request of 1 September 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
As you have refused to waive the fee on public interest grounds, I will proceed to review with the OAIC.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
John Smith left an annotation ()
To whomever paid the associated fee for this request on my behalf, I sincerely thank you. You have done a great service to public sector accountability.
Kind regards
John Smith