The Adelaide Advertiser this week ran a story "Secret plan to bring home Hicks" that revealed that the South Australian Government has been planning for the return of David Hicks from Guantanamo Bay since at least September 2006, despite the fact that the Government claimed in late March that it had not been contacted about the possibility.
But it didn't get anything more from its Freedom of Information application other than a brief description of the documents.
According to The Advertiser, the Department of Correctional Services refused access to all 13 documents held on grounds that "disclosure would be misleading and therefore contrary to the public interest".
Well, that certainly is about as vague and amorphous as any exemption claim I've heard in a while.
This blog takes an interest in issues associated with Freedom of Information (FOI) and privacy legislation in Australia. Information contained on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Follow Peter Timmins on Twitter: @foiguru Follow the open government cause through the Australian Open Government Partnership Network. www.opengovernment.org.au and @opengovau
No comments:
Post a Comment