Record of consultation with Australian Army re: HOSM assessment of Australian contingent to GE Infrastructure
Please accept this FOI Act request. Refer to your department’s document Ref: B09/1640 'Re: Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal: Assessment of Australian contingent to GE Infrastructure for Indian Ocean'. Mr Peter Rush approved the document 17 November 2009. We ask for a copy of the documents recording the consultations with the Australian Army (referred to at the bottom of page 1).
Please take the following into account when considering conditional exemptions.
FOI/2020/231 evidences that the Awards and Culture Branch's failed to inform the Cabinet Secretary that the Australian contingent to GE Infrastructure included commercial security contractors. The Branch failed to name the commercial security company involved or inform the Cabinet Secretary of the company's professional reputation. These omissions are materially relevant and substantial.
The Branch's advice informed the Cabinet Minister's recommendation to the Governor-General. Who in turn executed the Sovereign's will by gazetting an amended HOSM declaration. These actions followed the Branch's substantial omissions. Despite the facts of the matter PMC will not scrutinise the Branch's assessment/advice and the Branch will not inform PMC or the Minister responsible for honours policy of their errors and omissions. Regrettably the reputation and integrity of the HOSM and its associated processes is in doubt.
The FOI Act’s entitles the Australian community to access information held by the government by requiring agencies to publish the information. The public have a legally enforceable right of access to documents unless exempted under the FOI Act. Parliament intends, by these objects, to promote Australia’s representative democracy by contributing towards increasing public participation in government, increasing scrutiny, discussion, comment and review of the government’s activities.
Yours faithfully,
Trav S
OFFICIAL
FOI/2022/017
Dear Trav S,
Thank you for your email dated 6 January 2022, received by the Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department), in which you made a
request to the Department under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
FOI Act) in the following terms:
“Refer to your department’s document Ref: B09/1640 'Re: Humanitarian
Overseas Service Medal: Assessment of Australian contingent to GE
Infrastructure for Indian Ocean'. Mr Peter Rush approved the document 17
November 2009. We ask for a copy of the documents recording the
consultations with the Australian Army (referred to at the bottom of page
1)."
Timeframe for receiving your decision
We received your request on 6 January 2022 and the 30 day statutory period
for processing your request commenced from the day after that date. You
should therefore expect a decision from us by 5 January 2022. The period
of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances under the FOI Act. We
will write to you regarding any extension of time that may relate to your
request.
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Department’s policy to withhold:
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The names and other details of SES officers will not be withheld unless
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direct numbers of SES officers please let us know at [3][DPMC 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 (that
is, the information will be treated as irrelevant and redacted from any
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We will write again when the Department has more information. Further
information on FOI processing can be found at the website of the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner
[4]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor....
Yours sincerely
Adviser | FOI Section[]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [5][email address] w. [6]pmc.gov.au
[7]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[8]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[9]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
______________________________________________________________________
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OFFICIAL
Dear Trav S
Thank you for your email dated 6 January 2022 in which you made a request
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to the Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department) in the following terms:
Refer to your department’s document Ref: B09/1640 'Re: Humanitarian
Overseas Service Medal: Assessment of Australian contingent to GE
Infrastructure for Indian Ocean'. Mr Peter Rush approved the document 17
November 2009. We ask for a copy of the documents recording the
consultations with the Australian Army (referred to at the bottom of page
1).
The due date for a decision on your FOI request is Monday, 7 February
2022. Regrettably, the Department is not in a position to finalise the FOI
request by the current due date. Preliminary searches to date have
identified a number of documents requiring review for relevance to your
request. The Department is continuing to assessing the next steps and
further tasks as may be required to process your FOI request.
We therefore seek your agreement to an extension of time to the processing
period by 14 days to Thursday, 21 February 2022, under section 15AA of the
FOI Act.
We would be grateful for your response COB Wednesday, 2 February 2022.
Yours sincerely
FOI Adviser I FOI and Privacy Section
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
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2. https://www.pmc.gov.au/
3. https://twitter.com/pmc_gov_au
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/departm...
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your email. I agree to the 14 day extension proposed.
Yours sincerely,
Trav S
OFFICIAL
FOI/2022/017
Dear Trav S,
Please find attached a decision letter and documents released to you under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 in regard to your FOI Request
FOI/2022/017.
Kind regards,
FOI Adviser I FOI and Privacy Section
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
Ngunnawal Country, One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box
6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
e. [1][email address] w. [2]pmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D78E24.FF2DAFB0 The
Department
acknowledges
and pays
respect to
the past,
present and
emerging
Elders and
Traditional
Custodians
of Country,
and the
continuation
of cultural,
spiritual
and
educational
practices of
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples.
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: This message, and any attachments to it, contains information
that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,
you
must not review, copy, disseminate or disclose its contents to any other
party or take action in reliance of any material contained within it. If
you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately
by
return email informing them of the mistake and delete all copies of the
message from your computer system.
______________________________________________________________________
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.pmc.gov.au/
3. https://twitter.com/pmc_gov_au
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/departm...