Information Requests
Access to information
On 9 May 2012, the Australian Information Commissioner amended the guidelines issued under s. 93A of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to state that the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate and the Department of Parliamentary Services were subject to the FOI Act. Prior to this, the guidelines stated that the FOI Act did not apply to the departments of the Parliament. This stated change did not result from an amendment to the FOI Act or any other legislation.
The three parliamentary departments have sought to comply with the spirit of the FOI Act in responding to requests for documents on a case by case basis, and they are continuing to respond to requests as they are received. In relation to other obligations arising under the FOI Act, the three parliamentary departments are developing an appropriate framework to deal with them. It has not been possible to have in place immediately administrative arrangements to satisfy all FOI Act requirements. However, the departments are committed to progressively implementing any measures necessary to establish appropriate arrangements.
The Department of Finance and Deregulation (which is part of government) administers a number of parliamentary entitlements and provides services to members of parliament and their staff, see http://www.finance.gov.au/
The Remuneration Tribunal (which is an independent government authority) makes determinations in relation to members of parliament, including ministers, concerning salary or other allowances and matters that are significantly related, see http://www.remtribunal.gov.au/
The Parliamentary Budget Office is exempted expressly from the application of the FOI Act, under s. 7(1) and Division 1 of Part I of Schedule 2 of the Act.
Information Request Register (Department of the Senate)
Contact: Department of the Senate
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Information request reference No.
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Date listed on register
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Request summary
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Information published on the information request register
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Other information
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3
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31/05/12
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Shaun Parnell, The Australian
Documents detailing all occasions where items on the Assets Register of Office Equipment, and Assets Register of Furniture, had to be written off, in the current term and the previous term of parliament, including details of the item in question and which Senator had responsibility for it.
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(PDF 80kb) |
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4
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1/06/12
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Linton Besser, The Sydney Morning Herald
- Details of all monies paid to or on behalf of each Senator since they were most recently elected.
- To clarify, this request includes but is not to limited to all salaries, entitlements, allowances and grants or reimbursements for any travel, entertainment, living away from home, hardship or any other payments.
- I ask that if possible this information be provided in an electronic format as a Microsoft Excel file.
- I also seek a comprehensive schedule of documents captured by this application.
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(PDF 2036kb) |
Information originally supplied on 2/7/12
Advice of request for review by Information Commissioner received 7/8/12
30-day extension granted by Sydney Morning Herald on 8/8/12
Revised schedule of documents supplied 3/9/12
Information Commissioner advised matter closed 4/9/12
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5
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4/06/12
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Sharona Coutts The Global Mail
Please provide me with copies of documents laying out the expenditure to and on behalf of all senators, for the period Jan 1, 2010 through present.
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(PDF 1160kb) |
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6
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12/06/12
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Simon Frew – The Pirate party
a) all documents detailing the expenses claims of sitting members of the Senate.
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(PDF 353kb) |
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7
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07/12/12
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Chris Fryar – Chief of Staff to Senator the Hon Eric Abetz
Copies of all “hot issues briefs”, including any attachments, prepared by the Senate Department for the last Senate Estimates round.
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(PDF 353kb) |
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Information Request Register (Department of the House of Representatives)
Contact: Department of the House of Representatives
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Information request reference No.
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Date listed on register
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Request summary
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Information published on the information request register
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Other information
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12/01
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14 August 2012
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Expenditure by the Department of the House of Representatives (DHR) to and on behalf of Mr P Slipper MP – 28/09/2010 to 24/11/2011
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Payments and office expenses (PDF 101 kb
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12/03
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14 August 2012
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Expenditure by the Department of the House of Representatives (DHR) Deputy Speaker's Office – 01/01/2011 to 30/06/2011
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List of expenses (PDF 34 kb)
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12/04
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14 August 2012
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Speaker's brief, 2011
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Speaker's Brief (PDF 6.3 Mb)
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12/07
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14 August 2012
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Assets written off as at 25 June 2012
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List of assets (PDF 34 kb)
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See 12/16
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12/08
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14 August 2012
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Details of Speaker's Office Hospitality since 24 November 2011 to 31 May 2012
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List of Hospitality expenses (PDF 39 kb)
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12/10
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14 August 2012
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Salaries and allowances of Members and other monies paid to them since the last federal election
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Members' salaries and allowances (PDF 655 kb)
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12/11
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14 August 2012
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Salaries and allowances of Members and other monies paid to them since 1 January 2010
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Members' salaries and allowances (PDF 663 kb)
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12/12
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14 August 2012
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Expenses claims of sitting Members
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List of expenses claims (PDF 83 kb)
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12/13
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4 December 2012
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Emails which relate to the Speaker’s use of Entitlements and also to Expenditure: 24 November 2011 to 4 June 2012
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Email records (redacted) (PDF 4.2 mb)
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12/16
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14 August 2012
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Assets written off as at 25 June 2012
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List of assets (PDF 108 kb)
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See 12/07
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12/17
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29 October 2012
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Expenditure on hosting foreign dignitaries
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List of expenditure (PDF 56 kb)
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Information Request Register (Department of Parliamentary Services)
Contact: Department of Parliamentary Services
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Information request reference No.
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Date listed on register
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Request summary
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Information published on the information request register
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Other information
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