FOI in the news

Media reports based on FOI released documents over the last week include:

The Sydney Morning Herald 6 May: “Dear Diary, as usual I just met friends, colleagues and constituents, love M” – the Premier’s Office refused access to the Premier’s Draft Diary on the grounds that it was not a “minister’s document” as it did not relate to the affairs of an agency or government department. The Herald said the explanation in the determination was that “the bulk of entries…..relate either to the Premier’s personal affairs, his duties as a member of Parliament, and his duties a member of a political party and the leader of the party”.

The (Brisbane) Sunday Mail 7 May: “Anger at drug use poll delay” – a survey into illegal drug use conducted in 2005 was exempt from disclosure until included in a Crime and Misconduct Commission report to be published later in the year.

The Australian 8 May: “Wind farm only one parrot threat” provides details of a Defence Department report that reviewed a draft orange-bellied parrot plan and its implications for land and water managed by the Department.

The Daily Telegraph 8 May: “Health risks from prawns kept secret” reported that medical experts advised the Government that regular consumption of prawns would poses an increased risk of severe illness, and that the Government had consistently denied the suggestion.

The Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald 11 May: both papers reported details of NSW Government ministers’ travel expenses for the last 12 months, drawing on documents released to the Opposition.

The Australian 14 May: “Department knew of Alvarez condition” – reveals that an email showed that a senior officer in the Department of Immigration knew that wrongfully deported woman Vivian Alvarez was suffering spasms at the time of her deportation and that the Philippines Embassy felt she was unfit to fly.

news.com.au 14 May: “Patients stuck on trolleys” – the number of patients in Victoria waiting for more than 12 hours on a trolley before being admitted to wards is nearly three times as many as when the Government came to power in 1999.

As usual, some links have already disappeared from the free content.