Excluding 16 and 17 year olds from the Marriage Law Postal Survey

Chris Gentle made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Electoral Commission

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

The request was successful.

Dear Australian Electoral Commission,

The AEC recently published a media release [1] stating that the ABS’ Marriage Law Postal Survey will not be sent to 16 and 17 year olds as they are not on the electoral roll.

I am making an FOI request for the AEC to provide:

* correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related to the determination that 16 and 17 year olds will not be surveyed in the Marriage Law Postal Survey, and
* correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related of the Treasurer’s direction to the ABS [2] with regard to its definition of “elector” for the Marriage Law Postal Survey.

Yours sincerely,
Christopher Gentle

[1] http://www.aec.gov.au/media/media-releas...
[2] https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F...

Australian Electoral Commission

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Legal Services Mailbox, Australian Electoral Commission

2 Attachments

FOI request ID: LS6217

Dear Christopher Gentle

FOI Request LS6217 – ABS Marriage Law Postal Survey

I refer to your email received Tuesday 15 August 2015, sent via the Right
to Know website, in which you request (‘your FOI Request’) to the
Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’) under the [1]Freedom of
Information Act 1982 for access to documents relating to correspondence,
advice and ministerial communication related to the ABS’ Marriage Law
Postal Survey.

Specifically you have requested:

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related to
the determination that 16 and 17 year olds will not be surveyed in the
Marriage Law Postal Survey, and

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related of
the Treasurer’s [2]direction to the ABS with regard to its definition of
“elector” for the Marriage Law Postal Survey.

We received your request on 15 August 2017 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 14 September 2017. The
period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third
parties, impose a charge or for other reasons. We will advise you if this
happens.

You will be notified of any charges in relation to your request as soon as
possible, before we process any requested documents or impose a final
charge.

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on the AEC’s disclosure log [3]at
http://www.aec.gov.au/information-access..., subject to certain
exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where
this would be unreasonable.)

We will contact you using the email address that you provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact. If
you have any questions, please contact me at:

Email:  [4][email address]
Fax: 02 6293 7657
Post:  Locked bag 4007, Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone:   (02) 6271 4593

Yours sincerely

Saskia | Lawyer / FOI Officer

Legal Services Section | Legal & Procurement Branch

Australian Electoral Commission

show quoted sections

Legal Services Mailbox, Australian Electoral Commission

6 Attachments

Dear Mr Gentle

 

Your FOI request LS6217 – Decision record and reasons for decision

 

I refer to your email received Tuesday 15 August 2015, sent via the Right
to Know website, to the Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’), in which
you request under the [1]Freedom of Information Act 1982 access to
documents relating to correspondence, advice and ministerial communication
related to the ABS’ Marriage Law Postal Survey.

Specifically you requested:

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related to
the determination that 16 and 17 year olds will not be surveyed in the
Marriage Law Postal Survey, and

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related of
the Treasurer’s [2]direction to the ABS with regard to its definition of
“elector” for the Marriage Law Postal Survey.

A decision was due to you by 14 September 2017.

 

I am writing today to give you a decision about access to documents that
you requested in your FOI Request. Please find this decision and the
reasons for that decision attached as PDF File LS6217 – Final decision
record and reasons. Also attached, as a PDF file LS6217 Document No. 3
 and LS6217 Document No. 9– s22 edited copy are copies of the documents I
have granted you access to.

 

Kind regards

 

Lauren | Senior Lawyer

Legal Services Section | Legal & Procurement Branch

Australian Electoral Commission

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[3]AEC signature block

 

This email may contain legal advice that is subject to legal professional
privilege. Care should be taken to avoid unintended waiver of that
privilege. The Australian Electoral Commission’s Chief Legal Officer
should be consulted prior to any decision to disclose the existence or
content of any advice contained in this email to a third party.

 

From: Legal Services Mailbox
Sent: Wednesday, 16 August 2017 2:15 PM
To: [FOI #4025 email]
Subject: Acknowledgment of FOI Request - Request ID LS6217 – ABS Marriage
Law Postal Survey [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

 

FOI request ID: LS6217

Dear Christopher Gentle

FOI Request LS6217 – ABS Marriage Law Postal Survey

I refer to your email received Tuesday 15 August 2015, sent via the Right
to Know website, in which you request (‘your FOI Request’) to the
Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’) under the [4]Freedom of
Information Act 1982 for access to documents relating to correspondence,
advice and ministerial communication related to the ABS’ Marriage Law
Postal Survey.

Specifically you have requested:

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related to
the determination that 16 and 17 year olds will not be surveyed in the
Marriage Law Postal Survey, and

·         correspondence, advice and ministerial communication related of
the Treasurer’s [5]direction to the ABS with regard to its definition of
“elector” for the Marriage Law Postal Survey.

We received your request on 15 August 2017 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 14 September 2017. The
period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third
parties, impose a charge or for other reasons. We will advise you if this
happens.

You will be notified of any charges in relation to your request as soon as
possible, before we process any requested documents or impose a final
charge.

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on the AEC’s disclosure log [6]at
http://www.aec.gov.au/information-access..., subject to certain
exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where
this would be unreasonable.)

We will contact you using the email address that you provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact. If
you have any questions, please contact me at:

Email:  [7][email address]
Fax: 02 6293 7657
Post:  Locked bag 4007, Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone:   (02) 6271 4593

Yours sincerely

Saskia | Lawyer / FOI Officer

Legal Services Section | Legal & Procurement Branch

Australian Electoral Commission

show quoted sections