Officeof
SenatortheHonMwhaeliaCash
MinisterforEmploymentMinisterforWomenMinisterAssistingthePrimeMinisterforthePublicService
MrJoshTaylorNewsEditorBuzzFeedNewsDearMrTaylorByemail:josh.talor@buzzfeed.com
Requestunderthe
FreedomofInformationAct1982
Cth I
refertoyourcorrespondenceof26October2017totheofficeofSenatortheHonMichaeliaCash,MinisterforEmployment,viatheDepartmentofEmployment,inwhichyourequestedaccessunderthe
FreedomofInformationAct1982
Cth) FOIAct)tothefollowingdocuments:
...allcommunicationsbetweenMinisterMichaeliaCash,AndrewHudsgon,DavidDeGarisand/oranystafffromromtheFairWorkOmbudsman,ortheRegisteredOrganisationsCommissionregardingtheAFPraidsontheofficesoftheAWUonthe24111and25thofOctober,2017.
DecisionI
amauthorisedtomakedecisionsundertheFOIAct.Mydecisionregardingyourrequestandthereasonsformydecisionaresetoutbelow.TheAustralianFederalPolicehascommencedinvestigationsintotheallegedunauthoriseddisclosureofinformationconcerningtheexecutionofsearchwarrantsobtainedbytheRegisteredOrganisationsCommission.Anydisclosureofinformationthatmayberelevanttothisinvestigation,includingtheacknowledgementoftheexistenceorotherwiseofanydocumentswithinthesubjectmatteroftherequest,couldprejudicethelawenforcementinvestigationcurrentlycarriedoutbytheAFPbyinhibitingtheprovisionofinformationbypotentialwitnesses;influencinglinesofinquirybypoliceortheevidenceofwitnesses;ordisclosingavenuesofinquiry.Ihavethereforedecidedtorefuseyourrequestforaccesstodocumentspursuanttosection25andsection37oftheFOIAct.Pursuanttosection25oftheFOIAct,Ineitherconfirmordenytheexistenceofanydocumentsfallingwithinthescopeofyourrequest.
Reasonsfordecision
Sections25 1) a)and25 2) a)oftheFOIActrelevantlyprovide:
ParliamentHouseCanberraACT2600Telephone 02)62777320Fax 062734115
2
1)NothinginthisActshallbetakentorequireanagencyorMinistertogiveinformationastotheexistenceornon
existenceofadocumentwhereinformationastotheexistenceornon
existenceofthatdocument,ifincludedinadocumentofanagency,wouldcausethelast
mentioneddocumenttobe: a)anexemptdocumentbyvirtueof...subsection37 1)...; 2)Ifarequestrelatestoadocumentthatis,orifitexistedwouldbe,ofakindreferredtoinsubsection I),theagencyorMinisterdealingwiththerequestmaygivenoticeinwritingtotheapplicantthattheagencyortheMinister asthecasemaybe)neitherconfirmsnordeniestheexistence,asadocumentoftheagencyoranofficialdocumentoftheMinister,ofsuchadocumentbutthat,assumingtheexistenceofsuchadocument,itwouldbe: a)anexemptdocumentbyvirtueof...subsection37 1)
Section37 1)relevantlyprovides:
1)AdocumentisanexemptdocumentifitsdisclosureunderthisActwould,orcouldreasonablybeexpectedto: a)prejudicetheconductofaninvestigationofabreach,orpossiblebreach,ofthelaw,orafailure,orpossiblefailure,...orprejudicetheenforcementorproperadministrationofthelawinaparticularinstance; b)disclose,orenableapersontoascertain,theexistenceoridentityofaconfidentialsourceofinformation,orthenon
existenceofaconfidentialsourceofinformation,inrelationtotheenforcementoradministrationofthelaw;or c)endangerthelifeorphysicalsafetyofanyperson.
TheAFPhasadvisedthatitwouldnotbeappropriateforanyinformationthatmayberelevanttothisinvestigationtobediscussedordisclosed.Notwithstandingtheapplicationofsection25 1)oftheFOIAct,ifdocumentsdidexistwithinthetermsoftherequesttheywouldbeexemptedundersection37 1)oftheFOIAct.RightsofreviewYourrightsofreviewofthisdecisionareoutlinedatAttachmentA.Shouldyouhaveanyenquiriesconcerningthismatter,pleasecontactfoie
nployment.gov.au.YourssincerelyBenDaviesChiefofStaff27/11/2017
ParliamentHouseCanberraACT2600Telephone 02)62777320Fax 02)62734115