Training Expenditure by AHPRA for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21

Julian Fidge made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

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

Dear Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency,

Please provide an overview of the amounts of money you have spent on training in the financial years ending in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the subject areas in which training was provided in those years.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Fidge

Legal Support, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

 

Dear Mr Fidge

 

Thank you for your email dated 17 December 2021.

 

An FOI Officer will be in touch with you within the next fortnight to
provide information about the FOI process and request further information
from you, if it is needed.

 

If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact us at [1][AHPRA request email] and quote reference number FOI34931.

 

 

Kind regards

 

Legal Support

National Legal Services

 

Email  |  [2][AHPRA request email]

Web    |  [3]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

 

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From: Julian Fidge <[FOI #8207 email]>
Sent: Friday, 17 December 2021 11:05 AM
To: foi <[AHPRA request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Training Expenditure by AHPRA
for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know
the content is safe.

 

Dear Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency,

Please provide an overview of the amounts of money you have spent on
training in the financial years ending in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021,
and the subject areas in which training was provided in those years.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Fidge

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #8207 email]

Is [6][AHPRA request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency? If so,
please contact us using this form:
[7]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[8]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
2. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
3. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
5. mailto:[FOI #8207 email]
6. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
7. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
8. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

foi, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Fidge,

 

Thank you for your email of 17 December 2021.

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request.

 

Please see the attached letter, confirming the scope of your request and
setting out important information about the FOI process.

 

Kind regards,

Matthew Reghenzani

Senior Freedom of Information Officer

National Information Release Unit, National Legal Services

Email  | [1][AHPRA request email]

Web    | [2]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

G.P.O. Box 9958   |   Brisbane QLD 4001   |   [3]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the named addressee. If you have received this email
in error or you are not the named addressee notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail.  Do not disseminate, distribute or copy this
e-mail.  If you are not the named addressee disclosing, copying,
distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited.

 

[4]cid:image001.png@01D030DC.A598D760Please consider the environment
before printing.

 

From: Julian Fidge <[FOI #8207 email]>
Sent: Friday, 17 December 2021 11:05 AM
To: foi <[AHPRA request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Training Expenditure by AHPRA
for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know
the content is safe.

 

Dear Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency,

Please provide an overview of the amounts of money you have spent on
training in the financial years ending in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021,
and the subject areas in which training was provided in those years.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Fidge

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #8207 email]

Is [6][AHPRA request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency? If so,
please contact us using this form:
[7]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[8]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
2. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
3. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
5. mailto:[FOI #8207 email]
6. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
7. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
8. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

foi, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Fidge,

 

I refer to our earlier correspondence regarding your FOI request to Ahpra
for documents.

 

Please see the attached access decision of today’s date in response to
your request.

 

Kind regards,

Matthew Reghenzani

Senior Freedom of Information Officer

National Information Release Unit, National Legal Services

Email  | [1][AHPRA request email]

Web    | [2]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

G.P.O. Box 9958   |   Brisbane QLD 4001   |   [3]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the named addressee. If you have received this email
in error or you are not the named addressee notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail.  Do not disseminate, distribute or copy this
e-mail.  If you are not the named addressee disclosing, copying,
distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited.

 

[4]cid:image001.png@01D030DC.A598D760Please consider the environment
before printing.

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
2. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
3. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Mr Robert Green
Senior Legal Adviser
Ahpra
GPO Box 9958
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

by email

Dear Robert Green,

I am writing to request an internal review of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency's handling of my FOI request 'Training Expenditure by AHPRA for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20; 2020/21'. My FOI request was refused on the 11th of January 2022.

The reasons for my request are as follows:

1. The reason provided that there are no documents that contain the information I have requested is untrue. There must be documents that provide the information I seek, such as invoices, which indicate what training has taken place, because these documents are required by law. I accept it is possible that no money was spent on training.

2. There must be documents that provide the information I seek because you have provided the information in the AHPRA annual reports.

3. It is certain that the information I have requested is stored on a computer because it is part of the accounts of AHPRA which could not be administered with a pen and paper. It is a normal part of the operation of a computer by AHPRA to retrieve the information I have requested. It is a fabrication to claim that retrieval of the information I have requested is not part of the normal operation of a computer.

4. The interpretation of my request that it requires comparison is mind-reading and is not true. I have not requested comparison, only expenditure by financial year.

5. The claim that the work involved in creating a document containing the expenditure would be unreasonable is untrue. In fact, the documents have already been created and used in the production of AHPRA's annual reports. All that I have requested is that part of the financial reporting that relates to training.

6. The decision is so egregiously dishonest that it does not constitute a decision as required under the FOI Act. The decision is in fact only a clumsy refusal to provide information that AHPRA must have because the information has been published by AHPRA every year. The obvious lies in the refusal that accounting is not normal computer work, or that it would be too much work, or the documents do not exist are not reasonable excuses under the FOI Act to refuse the request.

7. The request is, in fact, a simple request for a single line item of gross expenditure of public money by a government agency which would be easily and quickly provided if AHPRA intended to comply with the FOI Act. There is no mechanism available to AHPRA to refuse this request, which is limited and reasonable.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/t...

Yours faithfully,

Julian Fidge

foi, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

Dear Mr Fidge,

 

Thank you for your email of 15 January 2022, requesting internal review of
Ahpra’s original FOI decision of 11 January 2022.

 

Your request has been forwarded to Mr Green, who will provide you with a
decision by 14 February 2022, in line with the statutory timeframes.

 

FOI Team

National Information Release Unit, National Legal Services

Email  | [1][AHPRA request email]

Web    | [2]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

G.P.O. Box 9958   |   Melbourne VIC 3001   |   [3]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the named addressee. If you have received this email
in error or you are not the named addressee notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail.  Do not disseminate, distribute or copy this
e-mail.  If you are not the named addressee disclosing, copying,
distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

From: Julian Fidge <[FOI #8207 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 15 January 2022 12:08 AM
To: foi <[AHPRA request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Training
Expenditure by AHPRA for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20;
2020/21

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know
the content is safe.

 

Mr Robert Green
Senior Legal Adviser
Ahpra
GPO Box 9958
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

by email

Dear Robert Green,

I am writing to request an internal review of Australian Health
Practitioner Regulation Agency's handling of my FOI request 'Training
Expenditure by AHPRA for Financial Years 2017/18; 2018/19; 2019/20;
2020/21'. My FOI request was refused on the 11th of January 2022.

The reasons for my request are as follows:

1. The reason provided that there are no documents that contain the
information I have requested is untrue. There must be documents that
provide the information I seek, such as invoices, which indicate what
training has taken place, because these documents are required by law. I
accept it is possible that no money was spent on training.

2. There must be documents that provide the information I seek because you
have provided the information in the AHPRA annual reports.

3. It is certain that the information I have requested is stored on a
computer because it is part of the accounts of AHPRA which could not be
administered with a pen and paper. It is a normal part of the operation of
a computer by AHPRA to retrieve the information I have requested. It is a
fabrication to claim that retrieval of the information I have requested is
not part of the normal operation of a computer.

4. The interpretation of my request that it requires comparison is
mind-reading and is not true. I have not requested comparison, only
expenditure by financial year.

5. The claim that the work involved in creating a document containing the
expenditure would be unreasonable is untrue. In fact, the documents have
already been created and used in the production of AHPRA's annual reports.
All that I have requested is that part of the financial reporting that
relates to training.

6. The decision is so egregiously dishonest that it does not constitute a
decision as required under the FOI Act. The decision is in fact only a
clumsy refusal to provide information that AHPRA must have because the
information has been published by AHPRA every year. The obvious lies in
the refusal that accounting is not normal computer work, or that it would
be too much work, or the documents do not exist are not reasonable excuses
under the FOI Act to refuse the request.

7. The request is, in fact, a simple request for a single line item of
gross expenditure of public money by a government agency which would be
easily and quickly provided if AHPRA intended to comply with the FOI Act.
There is no mechanism available to AHPRA to refuse this request, which is
limited and reasonable.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[4]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/t...

Yours faithfully,

Julian Fidge

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #8207 email]

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[6]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
2. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
3. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
4. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/t...
5. mailto:[FOI #8207 email]
6. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

foi, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Fidge,

 

We refer to your earlier email of 15 January 2022, seeking internal review
of Ahpra’s original FOI decision of 11 January 2022.

 

Please see the attached decision letter for your consideration.

 

FOI Team

National Information Release Unit, National Legal Services

Email  | [1][AHPRA request email]

Web    | [2]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

G.P.O. Box 9958   |   Melbourne VIC 3001   |   [3]www.ahpra.gov.au

 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the named addressee. If you have received this email
in error or you are not the named addressee notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail.  Do not disseminate, distribute or copy this
e-mail.  If you are not the named addressee disclosing, copying,
distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AHPRA request email]
2. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/
3. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/